Another one…another overtime on MLK Day that is. After the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers played through a first, then a second overtime, the Utah Jazz wanted in on some of the excitement too.

After trailing by 15 points earlier in the game against the Charlotte Hornets, the Utah Jazz climbed all the way back. Trey Burke nailed a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime.

In his debut with the Miami Heat on Saturday, Goran Dragic scored 12 points in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Last night, things were a little different. Dragic finished with a 23-point, 10-assist double-double, plus a couple of boards and steals. With him running the point, dishing out to Luol Deng, who finished with a game-high 29, the Heat got a home win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Three additional Heat players (the team shot 55.4 percent from the field) finished in double-figures last night, including Henry Walker in his debut. Two of his points came from this jam in the first quarter:

Hollis Thompson (22 points) was the leading scorer for Philly, who lost its fourth in a row.

Bulls 87 (36-21), Bucks 71 (31-25)

Three Chicago Bulls finished in double-digits last night…in the rebounding category, that is. Pau Gasol (15 points, 10 rebounds) Joakim Noah (8 points, 16 rebounds), and Nikola Mirotic (20 points, 14 rebounds) and the rest of the Bulls’ squad brought down the boards to outrebound the Milwaukee Bucks 62-41 in last night’s game. Both teams shot poorly, right around 33 percent from the floor, but the Bulls took advantage with the boards. They had a 48-33 lead at halftime and continued to build on it in the third quarter, going up by as many as 22. Some fun dunks from the Bulls’ sixth win in seven games:

Rockets 113 (38-18), Wolves 102 (12-43)

James Harden sure makes basketball look easy. In the Houston Rockets’ win last night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Harden recorded his second triple-double of the season (31 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) even after starting the game 0-7 from the floor.

And if you wanted this particular play isolated from the rest of the highlights for like a tweet or whatever, here you go:

Five more Rockets scored in double-figures for the home win. Birthday boy Andrew Wiggins (30 points) helped bring the Wolves within a single point with 3:21 remaining in the game. It was all Houston after that though. From the 4:03 mark to 15.7 seconds at the end of the fourth quarter, the Wolves were field goal-less. Wiggs made a layup at the end, but by then Minnesota already suffered through a 16-4 run by Houston.

Pelicans 100 (29-27), Raptors 97 (37-19)

It was a comeback win for the shorthanded team from New Orleans yesterday. No Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson, or Jrue Holiday and an 18-point deficit to recover from? Eh, no prob.

Six Pelicans finished in double-figures on 51.3 percent shooting. Omer Asik (14 points, 11 boards) and Tyreke Evans (13 points, 12 boards) recorded the double-doubles, and Jimmer Fredette led the team with 18. The Pels outscored the Raps by 10 in the final period for the win, despite strong games from T-Dot starters Kyle Lowry (22 points) and Jonas Valunciunas (17 points, 14 rebounds).

Nets 110 (23-31), Nuggets 82 (20-36)

Brooklyn wins in blowout fashion on the road—not a line we read every day, but last night in Denver the statement rang true. Seven Net players finished in double-figs, including Brook Lopez (19 points, 9 rebounds) and Deron Williams (16 points, 12 assists). Markel Brown, Brooklyn’s rookie guard, played well in his first start—earning a 10-point, 12-board double-double. The Nets held the Nuggets to just 33 percent shooting in the game and a mere 13 points in the final period. Brooklyn led by as many as 30 points in the Pepsi Center yesterday evening, and the hometown Nuggets were not able to recover.

Celtics 115 (21-33), Suns 110 (29-28)

After being traded from the Suns to the Celtics just last week, Isaiah Thomas already made his return to Phoenix. Finishing with 21 points and 7 assists off the bench, plus a road win, he looked pretty good out there in green. Four more Celtics contributed double-figs for the winning team, including Avery Bradley who led the charge with 23 points.

At halftime, Boston was up by 17, and by the start of the fourth, the Suns cut the gap to 10. With under two minutes remaining in the game and Boston up by a single point, Isaiah Thomas hit a 3-pointer plus a free-throw, followed by a driving layup and two more free-throws to seal the win at 115-110. Get home safe now, IT.

The Jazz forced 22 turnovers from the Spurs and beat the veteran team in the paint 46-38. Tim Duncan led San Antonio with 14 points and 10 rebounds, but the defending champs haven’t yet returned to their winning ways since All-Star Break.

Grizzlies 90 (41-14), Clippers 87 (37-20)

No lead extended beyond 8 last night in the close game between two Playoffs-bound Western conference teams. The Memphis Grizzlies flew into the Staples Center to take on the hometown Los Angeles Clippers, and they subsequently left with a win. Mike Conley led his Grizz with 18 points and 7 assists, and Jeff Green added 16 points and 6 rebounds.

With just under two and a half minutes left in the game, Memphis was up 88-80 off a Courtney Lee 3-pointer. Then Chris Paul (30 points, 10 assists) and the Clips went on a 7-0 run. Down 1 with 1.9 seconds left on the clock, Paul lost the handle, and Conley scooped the steal and drew the foul on the other end. He hit both shots, and the 90-87 score was written in the books.

You probably best remember Trey Burke as the dude who got as hot as humanly possible two years ago to help Michigan top Kansas in the Sweet Sixteen. If you can’t vividly picture the absurdity, then take this two-minute refresher course. Please, take your time. I’ll still be here when you’ve finished watching and have picked up your jaw from the floor.

Back with me? Cool. Following that explosion, Burke was named the Naismith National Player of the Year. Shortly after that, the Jazz selected him with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. There’s no doubt been some inconsistency in the 18 months since, but the signs of stardom aren’t hard to find. At his best, Burke creates shots for himself and his teammates with ease. He’s a willing passer who can score from all over the floor—a lethal combination that should grow more deadly with time.

He’s not yet an All-Star, but he’s taken part in the next-best things. A year ago, he won the Skills Challenge and started for Team Webber in the Rising Stars Challenge. He participated in both events again this past weekend, scoring 17 points for Team USA on Friday night.

In the middle of a hectic All-Star Weekend, Burke sat down with SLAM to discuss a Rising Stars loss to the World team, staying in touch with old college buddies and being the face of the upcoming Get Game Ready campaign with Unilever, which will launch during the NCAA tourney.

SLAM: Was it hard to gel with your rookie and sophomore teammates with zero practice time beforehand?

Trey Burke: Yeah, it was a little weird. But the game comes natural to all of us—we just try to move the ball, play together. It was kinda like a pickup game. The last 10 minutes, guys turn it on, start playing actual defense. We just picked it up too late.

SLAM: Did anybody that you played with surprise or impress you?

TB: Getting to play with Mason Plumlee, a versatile big that can run the floor like that. It’s easy to get assists off him. That was cool, having that opportunity. Playing with [Victor] Oladipo, a guy I competed with for two years in college… I had a good time. It was a fun night, we just didn’t win. We were all kinda mad about that [laughs].

SLAM: Did you sense a different style of play from the World team?

TB: They do have their own unique style of play, euro steps and things like that. It’s not too big a difference but you can tell watching a guy coming from another country that they bring a different flavor to the game.

SLAM: Was it strange—or scary—playing against Rudy Gobert?

TB: Yeah that was a little weird [laughs]. But I play against him in practice. He’s a force down there. Every time you get down there, he’s affecting your shot. He’s getting better and it’s great to see—I think he was just as good defensively last year just ’cause of his defensive abilities. Offensively, he’s much better and more confident finishing around the rim. He had a great showing [on Friday].

SLAM: What do you think of Dante Exum so far?

TB: It’s a growing process. He’s facing some of the issues I faced last year, not being as consistent as you know you can be. I just tell him ‘Sometimes you’re gonna have some games like that, you just gotta keep getting better.’

SLAM: It’s only your second year in the League, but do you feel like you’re his mentor a little bit?

TB: To a certain extent. Like you said, I’m still young, too, so I don’t have all the answers. I’m still a guy who’s looking for that mentor who can take me under their wing.

SLAM: Who do you look to for advice?

TB: On the team, probably Steve Novak. He’s a guy I’ve talked to from time to time about things. He’s a vet, he’s had experience in the League. So I probably say him because he could tell you things that some guys, even if they’re successful in the League right now, couldn’t tell you because they don’t have the mileage.

SLAM: Is he the best shooter you’ve ever seen?

TB: [Without hesitation] Yes. definitely. If not the best, top two or three.

SLAM: Who else, as far as dudes who just never miss in practice?

TB: Nik Stauskas, who I played with in college.

SLAM: Your Michigan team has five guys in the pros right now. How much do you stay in touch with them?

TB: The season is strenuous and there’s a lot going on, so you don’t just talk to them as much as people think you get to. But every time I see them we have discussions. From time to time we send text messages and things like that. I make sure I keep in touch with them via Twitter or whatever.

SLAM: Do you pull for your old Michigan teammates who are in the League now?

TB: Absolutely. Mitch McGary, Nik, Glenn [Robinson III], all those guys. I know Nik is getting some time so I look at his stats. When Glenn has an opportunity to play, I’m always looking and seeing how they do. I’m sure they do the same thing with me. Tim! I didn’t mean to leave Tim out! Tim [Hardaway Jr.] is doing his thing here in New York.

SLAM: Would you feel confident if Michigan’s old starting five faced any other college’s starting five? Like Anthony Davis’ Kentucky team?

TB: I’d be very confident. We went through highs and lows together, went through a lot of adversity. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. That second year, we made a big run, so, I’m sure if we were to come back together and play again we’d still have that chemistry.

SLAM: Stauskas and Hardaway have gone through coaching changes, as have you. How’s the adjustment been with Quin Snyder?

TB: It’s been good. He holds me accountable for a lot of things, on the court and off the court. So he’s already helped me out because, you know, some coaches won’t do that to the full extent. He always tells me ‘Until I see the defensive improvement, your minutes might be reduced or you may come off the bench.’ Things like that. I don’t take it personally, it’s just something that’s gonna make me better as a player. Then off the court, he treats me like a grown man, basically keeps it real with me. Lets me know that I gotta do this, be productive in that way. So to have a coach like that, that’s new, is great. Great communication—we talk a lot.

SLAM: Obviously you don’t want to look to next year yet, but there’s a ton of young talent on your roster. I think what the Bucks have done—15 wins last year, above .500 this year—is a fair comparison for what you could do next year. Do you get excited about that long-term potential?

TB: I think so. We got a young team, so we have a lot of areas to grow in. We got a lot of good young players who play the right way. It’s an unselfish team, we move the ball, we have multiple guys who can make plays. I don’t wanna put limits on our team. I definitely think we can contend. We’ve beaten some of the top teams in the League this year, and that alone lets me know that it can be done, that we can contend, definitely.

SLAM: Last year you won the Skills Challenge and had a chance to be around top point guards like Steph Curry and Damian Lillard. What was that like, as a rookie?

TB: It was cool. I compete against them, so it’s a different perspective that I have to take. But off the court, seeing those guys, it’s an inspiration. The level that they’re at is the level I wanna be at eventually.

SLAM: March Madness is coming up, and you’ll be partnering up with Unilever on an ad campaign. How cool is that?

TB: I’m very excited. I know one thing I’m excited to see once the tournament comes around is some of those ads online and in the stores and things like that. So I’m excited to team up with Unilever to Get Game Ready.

SLAM: Have you been following the college basketball season closely? Who do you think will win it all?

TB: Wisconsin lost my guy Traevon Jackson. They need him back. He’s one of their leaders, he makes plays for them. Kentucky looks good obviously. I don’t know if they can win it all ’cause college basketball is so weird—a team can look good the whole season and lose the second or third game of the tournament, or even in the Final Four. Virginia will have a great shot of winning. Duke, you know. I think those are contenders.

SLAM: What do you think of Michigan hiring Jim Harbaugh?

TB: I’m very excited. It’s a new era. Coach Hoke was my guy, but they had to go a different direction with Harbaugh. I’m looking forward to that. Those Michigan-Ohio State games will be a little more competitive now [laughs].

Leo Sepkowitz is an Editorial Assistant at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @leosepkowitz.

With All-Star Weekend 2015 officially underway, we thought it’d be nice to provide a photo recap of the previous night’s festivities. Above, check out the images from NBA All-Star Friday, with the stars’ media interviews, followed by the Celebrity Game, and ending with the Rising Stars Challenge.

The Hornets found a way to break their five-game losing streak thanks to a monster second quarter. During a ten minute span to finish the first half, Charlotte dominated Orlando with a 30-9 run, leading 52-29 going into halftime. With Al Jefferson and Lance Stephenson still sidelined, Kemba Walker (30 points, 6 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals) took over this game and established himself as the primary offensive option. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (17 points, 7 defensive rebounds, 5 offensive rebounds) had a big double-double and was tenacious on both sides of the court. The Magic were led by their big three of Victor Oladipo (21 points, 5 assists), Nikola Vucevic (20 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks) and Tobias Harris (18 points, 11 rebounds), but didn’t get much help from their teammates. Evan Fournier (9 points, 4-15 from the field) couldn’t find his touch, as the the Magic only shot 37.9 percent from the field.

Jazz 101 (12-22), Timberwolves 89 (5-27)

Trey Burke (season-high 28 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, 10-16 from the field) came alive from deep to help the Jazz roll over the defenseless Timberwolves. Going into this game, the Jazz guard had shot 4-27 (14.8 percent) from deep the past two games. Saturday night, he made four of his six 3-point attempts, torching the Wolves with his jumper. Rudy Gobert (13 points, 11 rebounds, 6 blocks) had a hot start and finished with a solid line. His length can really become a problem down low for opponents if the Jazz big man can find a comfortability in this League. Mo Williams (20 points, 3-5 on 3-pointers) and Andrew Wiggins (20 points) both reached the 20-point plateau, but offense isn’t really the problem in Minnesota. This team simply doesn’t play defense, allowing most opponents to reach 50 percent shooting from the field—including the Jazz (50.7 percent). The Wolves have now last 11 in a row and 17 of their last 18.

Rockets 115 (23-10), Heat 79 (14-20)

Just five games into being with the team, Josh Smith’s (12 points, 7 rebounds) promise of being in Houston’s starting lineup has been broken. With Smith on the bench, Donatas Motiejunas (12 points) was back in the starting lineup and consequently got off to a hot start. The Rockets were led by their All-Stars in Dwight Howard (23 points, 13 rebounds) and James Harden (28 points, 5 rebounds). Howard pushed the Rockets forward in the second quarter, when he posted 19 points and helped his team build a double-digit lead. This one ended up being the Rockets’ largest win of the year. The Heat simply looked exhausted and warn down in this one, as Chris Bosh (15 points, 4 rebounds) and Dwyane Wade (15 points, 4 rebounds) led the team in scoring. These two also had six of the team’s 22 turnovers. Miami has now lost four games in a row, seemingly showing the roster’s age and wear-and-tear.

Bulls 109 (24-10), Celtics 104 (11-20) OT

It might have been more difficult than they expected, but the Bulls found a way to pull out the victory thanks to three crucial overtime layups from Kirk Hinrich (8 points, 0-6 on 3-pointers), Pau Gasol (29 points, 16 rebounds, 5 blocks) and Derrick Rose (12 points, 5-18 from the field). Gasol had a fantastic game down low, taking it to the Boston frontline. Aaron Brooks (19 points, 4 rebounds) finished with his second best output of the season—right behind his best performance (26 points), which came in November…against the Celtics. Joakim Noah (8 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks) had a classic Joakim Noah game in which he did a little bit of everything on both sides of the court. With no Rajon Rondo anymore, Evan Turner (29 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 7 turnovers) took the opportunity to have one of his best games of the year. Turner reminded everyone that he was once a dependable scorer for the Sixers before his dramatic decline with the Pacers. Jared Sullinger (16 points, 8 defensive rebounds, 8 offensive rebounds) had a big double-double and Jae Crowder (10 points, 2 steals) reached double figures for the third time since joining Boston. The Celtics lost this one at the line, as the Bulls shot 29-40 (72.5 percent), incessantly attacking the rim. Boston only attempted 11 free throws. Jimmy Butler didn’t play due to a death in the family.

Spurs 101 (21-14), Wizards 92 (22-11)

The Spurs picked up their second straight win for the first time since December 5 and 6 while the Wizards lost their third straight game for the first time all season. These two teams showed superior balance as they both had six players in double figures and no one reach 20 points. Cory Joseph (19 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds) continued to come up big with Tony Parker still sidelined. The young point guard is starting to look for his teammates more and become a better distributor. It’s honestly just as much a testament to Popovich’s system as it is to Joseph’s growth. Patty Mills (15 points, 3-5 on 3-pointers) also hit some big shots in the fourth quarter. Guards John Wall (15 points, 8 assists) and Bradley Beal (15 points, 2-3 on 3-pointers) led the way for the Wizards, but went into a scoring drought late in the game. The run that changed this game’s momentum, though, came at the end of the third quarter when San Antonio closed it on a 12-4 run. The Spurs have now won 17 consecutive games against the Wizards—in large part due to their efficient shooting. They shot 55.1 percent from the field.

Nuggets 114 (14-20), Grizzlies 85 (24-9)

The Denver Nuggets snapped a three-game skid in a huge way by clobbering the Grizzlies in the Mile High city. Ty Lawson (25 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks) had another big games, thanks to his finding his touch early on. During a great first half for the Nuggets, Lawson made five shots—all jumpers—in pushing his team to a 49-38 lead. He distributed the ball throughout the game. Arron Afflalo (23 points, 8-12 from the field) had his shot going as well. Rookie Jusuf Nurkic (11 points, 10 rebounds, career-high 5 blocks) had one of his strongest defensive performances of the game. The Grizzlies just looked worn down having to play in the high altitude of Denver on the second night of a back-to-back. Mike Conley (8 points, 5 assists, 4-11 from the field) played a sloppy game, and it showed with the rest of his teammates. The Grizzlies only shot 2-14 (14.3 percent) on treys while the Nuggets controlled the boards 48-37.

Hawks 115 (25-8), Blazers 107 (26-8)

The new top team in the East added to their lead with yet another quality win—this time against a top team in the West. The Hawks actually had this one well within hand as they led 106-91 with 3:26 left in the game. With the Hawks making their free throws in the final minute, they were never really in trouble of letting the Blazers coming all the way back. Seven of the nine Hawks that entered the game reached double digits and they all played key roles in the win. These Hawks players have seemed to quickly understand and accept their roles. They’re buying into a system and are one of the best teams in the league because of it. Jeff Teague (22 points, 6 assists) and Paul Millsap (27 points, 6 rebounds) have become one of the best one-two punches in the League while Kyle Korver (14 points, 8 rebounds, 4-9 on 3-pointers) remained hot from deep. The Blazers got a big game from LaMarcus Aldridge (30 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks), but Damian Lillard (16 points, 7 assists, 8 rebounds) and Wes Matthews (19 points, 4-11 on 3-pointers) combined to shoot 12-33 (36.4 percent) from the field. Yet again, the Hawks found a way to shoot about 50 percent from the field (51.2 percent).

Clippers 127 (23-11), 76ers 91 (4-28)

Nothing new to see here, just another poor defensive performance from the lowly Sixers. The Clippers built up a 34-21 lead after the first 12 minutes and eventually poured it on in the fourth quarter in outscoring Philly 39-17. Chris Paul (24 points, 12 assists, 8 rebounds) led the way with a commanding double-double as the Clippers had 10 players with at least seven points. When Los Angeles has this type of balanced scoring across the board, it’s hard for anyone to stop them—especially when CP3 is getting his teammates the ball where they’re most comfortable with it. The Clips shot lights out from all over the field, shooting 54.1 percent from the field and 15-37 (40.5 percent) on 3-pointers. Tony Wroten (27 points, 7 assists) and Robert Covington (23 points, 4-7 on 3-pointers) led the Sixers in scoring. No team comes close to turning the ball over as much as Sixers this season, and they coughed it up 21 times, while the Clips only had eight turnovers.

With the scored knotted at 100-100, Jazz PG Trey Burke drained a long, step-back two to beat the buzzer and give Utah the 102-100 victory over the Knicks. Burke handed the deflated Knicks their seventh straight loss of the season.

The Nuggets pulled out their first win since they beat the Pistons in their season opener, and they will need to continue playing balanced like they did Friday night if they want to find success this season. Even though no one topped 20 points for Denver, Ty Lawson (11 points, 10 assists) ran the offense as seven Nuggets scored in double figures and two others reached seven points. They might not have a go-to guy, but they consistently had five guys on the floor who could put the ball in the basket. Unfortunately for the Pacers, they’re still struggling to find five healthy guys to get in the game. A.J. Price (14 points, 4 assists) led Indiana in scoring, but his team simply lacked any sort of offensive continuity. The Pacers only had 57 points with a few minutes left in the third quarter while trailing the Nuggets by 33. Denver rookie Gary Harris (13 points, 2 steals, 6-10 from the field) only made one of his five three-point attempts but looked fairly comfortable in his NBA debut, scoring his 13 points in only 18 minutes. Oh, and he also had the highlight dunk of the night.

Magic 101 (4-6), Bucks 85 (4-5)

With Victor Oladipo (13 points, 25 minutes) making his season debut and Tobias Harris (26 points, 10 rebounds) having one of his best game of the young season,the Magic showed a flash of what they could be with some time to develop. After the Bucks jumped out to an early 19-6 first quarter lead behind nine points from Brandon Knight (24 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds), Orlando started feeding Nikola Vucevic (18 points, 9 rebounds) down low and used a 19-11 run to get back into the game before the end of the quarter. The Magic outscored the Bucks in the final three quarter in the process of winning the fourth of their last six games.

Hawks 114 (5-3), Heat 103 (5-4)

Al Horford (19 points, 6 rebounds, 8-10 from the field) scored the first seven points of the game, and the Hawks never looked back, leading wire-to-wire even though the Heat made it close at times. With no Dwyane Wade (hamstring), Miami received big games from Chris Bosh (20 points, 8 rebounds), Mario Chalmers (23 points, 11 assists), Luol Deng (19 points, 3-5 on 3-pointers) and Shawne Williams (21 points, 5-6 on 3-pointers)…but not much from anyone else. The Hawks, on the other hand, had eight players in double-digits as only two players who got on the court failed to do so. Horford and Paul Millsap (19 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals) controlled the interior while Jeff Teague (16 points, 9 assists) continues to run coach Mike Budenholzer’s offense effectively. Part of that scheme includes knocking down three-pointers, and Kyle Korver (12 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds) made four of them as he is now shooting a blistering 57.7 percent from deep this season. Thabo Sefolosha (12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks) got off to a slow start with his new Atlanta team but has now reached double-digits in consecutive games. Bosh and the Heat just couldn’t get enough stops, allowing the Hawks to shoot 56.0% from the field.

Cavaliers 122 (4-3), Celtics 121 (3-5)

The King wanted this one. Badly. Through the first two quarters, neither team really gained control as they were knotted at 59 each by halftime. (There wasn’t much defense from either side.) LeBron James (41 points, 7 assists, 16-27 from the field) poured in 22 points through the first 24 minutes as it became clear he was on a mission; he remained aggressive for almost the entire night. The third quarter, though, was all Celtics as they outscored the Cavs 42-25. Jared Sullinger (19 points, 10 rebounds) scored 11 of his 19 points in the third, living in the paint for most of his offense. During a 14-6 run to start the final quarter, Kyrie Irving (27 points, 5 assists, 3 steals) started the final 12 minutes with a bang by making three 3-pointers and then three free throws after being fouled on a trey. After having three straight double-doubles to start the season, Kevin Love (12 points, 15 rebounds) notched his first double-double in the past four games. Rajon Rondo (6 points, 16 assists, 8 rebounds, 3 steals) always brings his best when he takes on LeBron, and he was tossing dimes throughout the night, keeping his team in the game. After a Rondo layup with 2:29 left in regulation, the Celtics held onto a 118-113 lead and forced head coach David Blatt to call a timeout. Whether or not Blatt told him to do so, James then took his play to that other gear that defenses can’t control. The King scored seven straight points–including a powerful and-one–to give his Cavs a 120-118 lead with 1:11 left in the game. On the final possession, Rondo tried to do it himself, but with Shawn Marion (6 points, 4 rebounds) accepting the task of stopping the Boston point guard, Rondo wasn’t able to get off a shot. The Cavaliers have now won three straight games and are above .500 for the first time this season.

Jazz 102 (4-6), Knicks 100 (2-8)

The Jazz have had an interesting start to their season with a lot of close wins and losses. After the Jazz took down the Cavs earlier in November thanks to a step back buzzer-beater from their starting small forward, their starting point guard decided to join in on the late-game antics. Before this game approached its waning moments, it was all about Carmelo Anthony (46 points, 7 rebounds), who put on a dazzling show by incessantly attacking the paint. With 5:01 remaining in the game, the Jazz led 87-81 after a Derrick Favors (21 points, 12 rebounds) dunk. Gordon Hayward (33 points, 6 assists, 4 steals) continues to look like he’s worth the pay-day, reaching the 30-point plateau for the second time in his past three games. Melo, though, went into scoring mode by pouring in 17 of his team’s final 19 points in just under five minutes. The Knicks were playing without Iman Shumpert, who went down in the opening minute with a bruised right hip. But this night belonged to second-year guard Trey Burke (13 points, 8 assists, 5-9 from the field). Up to this point in his young career, he has been criticized for his low shooting percentage and inability to get his teammates involved. Friday night, Burke kept his shot count to a reasonable amount and distributed the ball as well. But with 2.3 seconds remaining and the game tied 100-100 after a Melo 3-pointer, Burke knew his team needed a big shot. He received the inbounds pass, took a dribble and nailed a step back jumper at the buzzer to give the Jazz their first win at Madison Square Garden since 2009. The Knicks have now lost seven games in a row and have their second worst 10-game start in franchise history.

Rockets 88 (8-1), 76ers 87 (0-9)

The Rockets started this game slow after traveling back from Mexico City and looked sluggish up until James Harden (35 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 5 turnovers) saved them in the closing seconds. The shooting guard knocked down two free throws with 35.5 seconds and then hit an off-balance layup with 9.0 seconds remaining to turn a three-point deficit into a one-point lead. He got plenty of help from Dwight Howard (21 points, 16 rebounds, 7 blocks, 6 turnovers), who controlled the interior on both ends of the floor. Sixers point guard Tony Wroten (19 points, 8 assists) led the team in scoring again while Michael Carter-Williams (13 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 5 turnovers) continues to get back into NBA shape. Philadelphia actually held Houston to only 37.2 percent shooting from the field but allowed them to get to the line (23-37 on free throws). In search of their first win of the season, the Sixers will face the Spurs on Monday and Celtics on Wednesday.

Pelicans 139 (5-3), Timberwolves 91 (2-6)

A night after the Mavs earned a franchise record for largest margin of victory in obliterating the Sixers, the Pelicans set their own franchise record for margin of victory as they handed out a similar pounding to the inexperienced Timberwolves. This was one of those nights when everything was clicking for New Orleans, and when a team like Minnesota is still trying to find its identity, there is no stopping that Pelicans freight train. Jrue Holiday (24 points, 9 assists) seemed to have a clear path to the hoop all night, Ryan Anderson (16 points, 4-8 on 3-pointers) couldn’t miss from deep and Anthony Davis (22 points, 2 blocks, 2 steals) remained a legitimate MVP candidate. The Unibrow didn’t have an eye-popping stat line–and he didn’t need to with seven guys in double-figures–but he still had a major impact in this one. The Pelicans starting five shot a scorching 32-43 (74.4 percent) from the field while the entire Timberwolves team only shot 40.3 percent. Andrew Wiggins (20 points, 5 rebounds, 7-10 from the field) reached 20 points for the first time this season, but it was obviously overshadowed by the Pelicans dominating performance. With some hobbled and struggling Western conference teams towards the middle of the pack, New Orleans might just have a chance to sneak into the playoffs with their big man leading the way.

Pistons 96 (3-6), Thunder 89 (3-7) OT

The Thunder seemed to be in control of this one through the first two quarters, holding a 48-42 lead with Jeremy Lamb (career-high 24 points, career-high 10 rebounds), Serge Ibaka (19 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks) and Reggie Jackson (20 points, 12 assists) leading the way. They looked good defensively and were forcing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (8 points, 3-10 from the field, 1-6 on 3-pointers) to regress to his inefficient ways. When teams have done that this year, they have a good chance of winning. Being at home against a Pistons team that had lost three games in a row, the Thunder needed this one. But Brandon Jennings (29 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds) had other plans coming out of the locker room after halftime. The electric point guard went off 25 points in the second half and overtime, including eight of Detroit’s 14 points in overtime. Jackson had a clean look at the end of the fourth quarter to give OKC a buzzer-beating win, but he hit back rim. The Pistons ran through Jennings almost every possession late in this one. When Jennings is hitting the deep ball and finding a lane to the left side of the hoop, the crafty lefty becomes a legitimate source of offense. He just needs to find his consistency. Greg Monroe (14 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, +30) was great Friday night, as his team outscored the Thunder by 30 points when he was on the court. For the Thunder, they simply lacked offensive options. After having two efficient games since returning from injury, Anthony Morrow (10 points) did not look good against the Pistons. The 3-point specialist shot 4-15 from the field and 2-9 on 3-pointers.

Hornets 103 (4-5), Suns 95 (5-4)

The first two quarters were filled with huge runs from both teams, as the Suns won the first quarter 28-14 and the Hornets took the second quarter 33-19. But in the second half, Kemba Walker (19 points, 4 assists) scored 12 of his 19 points and Lance Stephenson (13 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals) finished off another well-rounded performance. Even though Born Ready still hasn’t completely settled into his offensive role, he continues to impact the game in more ways than simply scoring. Head coach Steve Clifford decided to give big man Bismack Biyombo (11 points, 10 rebounds, 14 minutes) the bench minutes he has been giving to Jason Maxiell (DNP-CD) up to this point in the season. He was the surprise of the night and finally showed some offensive life in picking up his first double-double since November 1, 2013. There is a reason Charlotte took Biyombo with the seventh pick in the 2011 draft, and he showed a flash of that Friday night. All five Suns starters reached double-figures, with Eric Bledsoe (22 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists) and Marcus Morris (17 points, 7 rebounds) leading the way, but a team with a usually strong bench lacked any punch. The Hornets bench outscored the Suns bench 43-20. Charlotte picked up its first road win with the victory, and the team will stay in California Saturday to take on the Golden State Warriors on the second night of a back-to-back.

Spurs 93 (5-3), Lakers 80 (1-8)

The Lakers scored the first two buckets in building a quick 4-0 lead, and then the game went as expected that point forward. The Spurs built a 29-19 first quarter lead and controlled the game the rest of the way thanks to a double-double from Tim Duncan (13 points, 11 rebounds), who surpassed 25,000 career points on the night. Tony Parker (11 points, 9 assists) and Manu Ginobili (9 points, 8 assists) distributed the ball well, and as a team, the Spurs dished out 28 assists. They have looked much better of late after their rocky start. The Lakers didn’t pass the ball well (17 assists), but the most glaring issue had to be shooting guard Kobe Bryant (9 points, 6 assists, 1-14 from the field), who had one of the worst shooting performances in his 19-year career. Carlos Boozer (19 points, 8 rebounds) and Jeremy Lin (15 points, 4 assists) got their points, but none of them came in any significant manner. The road doesn’t get any easier for L.A. as this one-win team must take on the Warriors, Hawks, Rockets and Mavericks in its next four games.

“We were made aware of the situation this morning,” general manager Dennis Lindsey said. “We’ve collected a lot of the facts. We still have a few things to collect and a couple of people to visit with. It’s safe to say … that we are disappointed in what we’ve learned so far but we are going to move forward. At this point in time, we’re collecting facts and we’re going to reserve final judgment for a later date.”

Burke spoke to Jazz officials and his teammates [Monday] morning and is expected to address the issue after Lindsey.

“Publicly, I want to first and foremost apologize to my family [and] apologize to the Miller family, as well as my teammates,” he said. “We already talked about it in the locker room. From this day forward, it won’t happen again. They were old pictures. They were meant to be kept private but they weren’t. So from this day forward my actions and my judgments will be much better.”

From our friends at USA Basketball: Featuring eight players owning USA Basketball experience, including four members of the 2013-14 NBA All-Rookie first team, USA Basketball today announced 13 players for

Featuring eight players owning USA Basketball experience, including four members of the 2013-14 NBA All-Rookie first team, USA Basketball today announced 13 players for the 2014 USA Men’s Select Team that will train July 28-31 with the 2014 USA Basketball Men’s National Team during its training camp in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“USA Basketball’s Select Teams are critical for getting some of the game’s brightest and most promising young players experience at the USA National Team level, and getting them into our pipeline,” said Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball National Team managing director. “Again this summer, as was done in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012, the members of the USA Select Team will play an important role in helping prepare the USA National Team for the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

“Being chosen for the Select Team is an honor and an important step in becoming involved in USA Basketball’s National Team program in the future. In the past, current national team players like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, as well as many other outstanding players got their USA National Team start through the Select Team.”

Members of the USA Select Team will assemble in Las Vegas and train with the USA National Team July 28-31 (12:00-3:00 p.m. PDT). All practices will take place at UNLV’s Mendenhall Center.

Forty-eight wins in a basketball season is pretty damn solid. The mark was good enough for third place in this year’s admittedly ridiculous Eastern Conference. It’ll get you in the Playoffs most seasons, and is generally a record to be proud of.

But 48 wins loses roughly 100 percent of its panache when split between two teams in a given season. This past year saw the Jazz (25-57) and Magic (23-59) combine to get there. The Derrick Rose-less Bulls won the same 48 on their own.

Orlando and Utah were rewarded with top-five picks in Thursday’s Draft, coincidentally in sequence. They selected Aaron Gordon and Dante Exum, respectively.

On the surface, there’s not a whole lot to see here. Bad teams stunk it up for a year, drafted quality prospects and the NBA’s worst-to-first cycle is hopefully now in motion.

Only neither team is going through the usual motions that most teams at the top of the Draft (Cleveland, Charlotte, Sacramento, etc.) usually do. They’re doing it better and smarter; embracing a real, true-to-its-name rebuild.

At pick No. 12, the Magic selected Dario Saric. That selection originally belonged to New York way back when the Knicks owning picks was still a thing, but was forwarded to Orlando through Denver in the Dwight Howard deal. Saric was later flipped to Philadelphia for point guard Elfrid Payton, who was picked two slots earlier. Orlando sent Philadelphia its own 2017 first-round pick (which the Magic acquired for Howard) to grease the deal.

Eleven slots later, the Jazz nabbed Rodney Hood. That pick first belonged to the Warriors, who shipped it to Utah last year.

For the Jazz, the selection of Hood brought a rebuild that started more than three years ago one step closer to completion. At the beginning of it all, the Deron Williams trade returned the team an assortment of players, future picks and short-term contracts.

Today, we know the final package looks like this: Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter and Trey Burke, who was acquired by pairing what was originally the Nets’ pick with Utah’s own 2013 first-rounder and moving up in last year’s Draft.

The Jazz remained competitive even without Williams temporarily. In their first full season following the trade, Utah snuck into the Playoffs, and managed 43 wins the following year. Simply, the Al Jefferson-Paul Millsap duo was good enough to keep the team afloat, and some young pieces were developing around them.

But a year ago, Utah faced another franchise-changing decision. Jefferson and Millsap were both free agents. The team had Bird Rights on both—nobody could offer either guy more money than the Jazz could on the open market. Wisely, though, the Jazz made the most difficult choice a small-market team (which has only managed to lure one big free agent in the last decade: Carlos Boozer, ’04) can make. They let their stars walk away for nothing.

Jefferson and Millsap went East to Charlotte and Atlanta, respectively, and the old not-flashy-but-tough-to-knock-out Jazz effectively died. Utah was left with no players to show for the duo, but they did receive one pretty huge perk: loads and loads of cap space, which was only accentuated when Mo Williams’ $8.5 million came off the books simultaneously.

The Jazz used the new-found breathing room brilliantly. Golden State badly needed to shed the expiring contracts of Andris Biedrins ($9 million) and Richard Jefferson ($11 million) in order to sign Andre Iguodala, and Utah was more than willing to absorb them into its ample cap space for a year. The price? A pair of future first- and second-round picks.

One of those four picks has now materialized into Hood, a borderline lottery prospect who fills a dire need on the wing. Millsap, Biedrins and both Jeffersons are all now gone, but Hood, the first tangible product from last summer’s tough decision, figures to stick around for a while.

Alongside him, Utah can continue to add through the Draft. They control all of their own picks going forward and have three more still owed to them by Golden State. They’ll have decisions to make on restricted free agents Enes Kanter and Alec Burks next summer, and Derrick Favors’ 4-year, $48 million extension begins this year, but they’ll have plenty of cap flexibility moving forward. That’s what happens when Hayward, 24, is your oldest player whose rights are controlled long-term.

***

About a year and a half after Williams was traded to the Nets, Orlando ripped a page out of Utah’s book. When Howard trade rumors were at their peak, it seemed the Magic were destined to acquire Brook Lopez and a flurry of first-round picks for their big man. But Lopez was about to hit restricted free agency, and Orlando felt uneasy about signing him to a max extension.

GM Rob Hennigan surprisingly pulled the trigger on a different deal—one which didn’t land them a marquee name to sell to fans or the media. No guaranteed top picks. No cap space to retool quickly. Nowhere near equal value on the court in the short-term.

Instead, Orlando got a weird mish-mosh of veterans (Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Josh McRoberts), recent draft picks (Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless) and future picks which seemed somewhat unappealing at the time (the lesser of Denver’s two 2014 first-rounders, a 2017 first-rounder from the Lakers and a protected Philadelphia pick).

Two years later, the narrative of that deal has changed completely. Howard left LA after one miserable season and the Lakers were left empty-handed. All that remains of the trade for the Sixers is Jason Richardson’s upcoming $6.6 million salary in the final year of a deal he signed with the Magic in 2011. Most importantly, Orlando has turned a former nightmare into damn-near an entire starting lineup.

They packaged two of the picks acquired for Howard to land Payton on Thursday. Vucevic is a double-double machine, Harkless a quality piece still only 21 years old. Afflalo was flipped recently for Evan Fournier, who has shown a natural scoring ability in limited minutes over his first two seasons. They still have the future Lakers’ pick in their back pocket, which will eventually complete the Howard deal.

On top of it all, the team managed to turn JJ Redick’s expiring contract into Tobias Harris during the ’13 deadline. And, of course, in the process of Orlando’s young core developing, they’ve lost a ton of games (43-121 last two seasons), turning their own post-Dwight draft picks into Victor Oladipo and now Gordon. The team still may not win many games, but we can start to see what’s being built: a long, strong defensive squad which will move like a freight train in transition.

By my count, over two years they’ve piled up four probably really good guys (Oladipo, Vucevic, Payton, Gordon), three rotation guys at worst (Harris, Harkless, Fournier) and a wild-card future pick that could sneakily be a high choice (Kobe Bryant’s contract expires in the summer of 2016—who knows what the Lakers will look like during the ’16-17 season). That’s eight real assets—seven already tangible—in exchange for two expiring contracts and all hope of competing in the very near future.

The team’s books are comically clean moving forward—it’s possible Oladipo will be the team’s highest-paid player next season at under $5 million. They could buy out Jameer Nelson’s $8 million upcoming salary and carry $2 million in dead weight for it, but they’ll likely keep him around for now.

(PS: Sunday night’s John Salmons/Lou Williams trade had to have made the Magic very happy. Salmons has a $7 million salary in the upcoming season, but only $1 million of it is guaranteed. That was appealing to the Hawks, who can now cut him and essentially pay only that $1 million to get Williams’ $5.5 million off the books. Teams like Boston, Chicago and the Clippers will need to make similar deals if they want to free up cap room this summer. Nelson’s contract works the same way as Salmons’, and Toronto forced Atlanta to cough up a real prospect in Lucas Nogueira as the price of doing business. Don’t be surprised if Nelson’s partially guaranteed deal is the center of a similar trade in coming days. It would be a shrewd way for the Magic to acquire yet another asset—I wonder what Boston would surrender to rid themselves of Gerald Wallace’s two years and $20+ million.)

Orlando has some money to spend right now, and could try to pry away a restricted free agent like Greg Monroe this month. But if Gordon Hayward actually lands a max contract this summer, then the RFA market will likely go haywire and teams and fans alike should probably just find a safe place to hide out until the next CBA takes effect.

Next summer, Nelson and Harrington’s contracts will be gone, assuming they don’t flip one for a long-term contract before then, opening up even more spending money.

Kenneth Faried and Utah’s own Enes Kanter will be restricted free agents, and their current teams might be wary of matching a pricey offer sheet. Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard will be RFAs too, for instance, but it’s unrealistic to think that Cleveland and San Antonio would let them walk, respectively, for nothing.

Maybe they’ll set their sights on a bigger fish—LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol and Lopez could be out there as unrestricted free agents—but Orlando won’t be the only team offering those guys big money. Perhaps DeAndre Jordan, set to hit unrestricted free agency at age 26 a year from now, could be their guy. Orlando could also try to package some pieces together in a trade if they’re not confident about luring a free agent they like.

There are about a million routes the Magic can take going forward, and they all look pretty sweet. Orlando has elite prospects, massive cap space, attractive trade chips, absurd verticals and a smart front office that has preached patience and is beginning to see it pay off.

Other teams have been paying attention.

Philadelphia traded its best player, Jrue Holiday, during the Draft last season, and the rewards are starting to take shape: Nerlens Noel, Saric and the return of their ’17 first-rounder. They also acquired a pair of second-round picks in exchange for Spencer Hawes’ expiring contract at this year’s deadline. The barren roster lost a ton of games, and landed Philly the third pick in this year’s Draft, where they selected Joel Embiid. The team has has very little money committed long-term—they’ll be patient with their cap room, waiting in the bushes for the right time to strike.

The Bucks may be in the early stages of a similar rebuild, but their roster construction makes it harder to map out. Larry Sanders’ lucrative extension is about to kick in. John Henson will be due a new contract a year from now, and Brandon Knight one year later. If they’re not committed to those guys, now is the best time to move them. But they’re all still young, and Milwaukee could keep them in the fold and hope for a fairly quick turnaround.

The Knicks would be wise to blow their roster up, beginning with a Carmelo Anthony sign-and-trade to bring in some youth and draft picks (Carlos Boozer’s expiring contract, Jimmy Butler, Doug McDermott and picks?). They’d have gobs of cap room in a huge market next summer, along with the newfound building blocks, but I’m not sure they’re willing to admit defeat on the Melo front.

Still, it seems owners are growing more patient, and teams are learning that floating between the late-lottery and getting smoked by No. 1 seeds in the first round of the Playoffs doesn’t do any good. Smarter GMs are making plans for further down the road, and it’s paying off one piece at a time. The Jazz and Magic understood that moving a fan-favorite star was the only way to improve drastically, even if it meant flashing some miserable basketball for a few seasons. The rest of the League’s middling teams should embrace the same idea.

The NBA announced the 2013-14 All-Rookie teams today. Michael Carter-Williams, the newly crowned Rookie of the Year, was the only unanimous first-team member, as selected by a panel of 125 sportswriters and broadcasters in the US and Canada. Orlando’s Vic Oladipo narrowly missed a perfect ballot with 124 first-team votes. Check out the All-Rookie First- and Second-Teams, with point totals in parentheses:

Charlotte gave the Trail Blazers a taste of their own medicine, repaying a blowout at Porland’s hands earlier this year with a romp of their own. Al Jefferson had 28 points and Kemba Walker went for 26, with each star picking up 6 assists and getting an early rest. Gerald Henderson had 23 for the ‘Cats, who shot 52 percent to snap a two-game slide.

The Blazers were smothered by Charlotte’s excellent team defense, which held them to 40 percent from the field. Damian Lillard led Portland with 20 points, but shot 7-19 to get there.

Rockets (47-22) 118, Cavaliers (26-44) 111

The Rockets have had little trouble since Dwight Howard went down, as they picked up their third straight win without the All Star center. James Harden went off for Houston, scoring 37 points on 9-15 shooting while handing out 11 assists in just three quarters of play. The Beard took control of the game in the third quarter, when he scored 17 points to push the Rockets’ lead as high as 29 points in the quarter. Chandler Parsons had 16 points and 6 assists for Houston.

Cleveland trailed by 18 with about four minutes to go, but went off on a 9-0 run to make the final score more competitive. Dion Waiters had 26 points and 8 assists in the loss, while Tyler Zeller had 23 off the bench.

Grizzlies (41-28) 82, Pacers (51-19) 71

The Memphis defense has been a buzzsaw since Marc Gasol returned from injury in January, and they ripped through Indiana’s offense on Saturday night. Mike Conley scored 21 points and Zach Randolph had 18 points and 13 boards, but the defense was the star.

Over the last two months, Memphis has been the League’s stingiest defensive unit, allowing just 97 points per 100 possessions since mid-January, and they bludgeoned the Pacers into 36 percent shooting while blocking 8 shots. Mike Miller provided an offensive boost, hitting 4-6 treys and netting 13 points, all in the second quarter. Marc Gasol played nearly 40 minutes a night after injuring his ankle.

Paul George’s awful play continued, as the All-Star starter shot just 2-10 and scored 8 points for the Pacers, while Lance Stephenson put up 15 points. Indiana is just 10-7 since making a splash at the trade deadline with the Evan Turner trade.

Pelicans (29-40) 105, Heat (47-21) 95

Anthony Davis is a one-man wrecking crew, and he destroyed the Heat with another monster effort in an upset of the champs. With 30 points and 11 rebounds, Davis set a (fairly arbitrary) franchise record by scoring 28 or more points for the eighth straight game. Tyreke Evans had 16 points and 8 assists for the Pellies, who have won three of their last four.

After pulling out a tough win on Friday night, the Heat rested two starters, Dwyane Wade and Greg Oden, as they lost for the seventh time in 11 games. LeBron James had 25 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists, but didn’t have enough on this night to carry the Heat by himself. James rolled his ankle in the third quarter, but was able to stay in the game. Michael Beasley scored 16 off the bench on 8-12 shooting as the Heat squandered an opportunity to gain a game on Indiana in the Eastern Conference standings.

Bulls (39-21) 91, 76ers (15-55) 81

It’s a familiar story at this point: despite playing hard and hanging in for much of the game, the 76ers fell short against the Bulls as Chicago pulled away in the fourth quarter. Joakim Noah led the Bulls with a line of 20-8-4, blocking 3 shots as well, Jimmy Butler went for 17-8-6 and Taj Gibson and D.J. Augustin both netted 16 off the bench.

The Sixers might have found a way to take the lead in the second half if they could have figured out how to make a jump shot. Philly missed its first 18 attempts from 3-point range and finished 1-20 from deep on the night. Thaddeus Young scored 28 points as the top scorer in the game, while Henry Sims continued to show he belongs on the floor with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Philadelphia has now lost 24 straight, the second-longest streak of all time. They’re three losses away from breaking the record and have just 12 games left in this miserable season.

Jazz (23-47) 89, Magic (19-51) 88

Trey Burke proved last spring that he’s very comfortable playing in March. That carried over to the NBA, as the rookie drained a game-winning 3-pointer from the corner with just over a second left on the clock, sending the Jazz to victory. Burke (17 points) shook off a horrid start – he was 2-11 shooting the ball through three quarters – to score 8 points in the final quarter, knocking down 3-4 shots and two triples. Richard Jefferson scored 21 points and Utah’s young front court of Enes Kanter (11 points, 11 rebounds) and Derrick Favors (11 points, 12 rebounds) both recorded double-doubles.

The Magic just missed out on picking up what would have been their fifth road win of the season, and they still sit at the bottom of the NBA with a 4-33 road record. Victor Oladipo scored 19 points, Arron Afflalo dropped 18 and Nikola Vucevic had a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. The Magic dropped their eighth straight in this ugly game, as neither team topped 40 percent from the field.

Clippers (49-21) 112, Pistons (25-44) 103

The Clippers distanced themselves from the Pistons in the second half, pulling away for a home win. Chris Paul was nearly perfect in the victory, scoring 28 points on 10-15 shooting while piling up 15 assists against just 2 turnovers. Blake Griffin poured in another 25 for L.A., who got back to their winning ways after having their 11-game winning streak snapped in their last contest, all the way back on Monday. Danny Granger scored 14 points off the bench, hitting all three of his triples, and DeAndre Jordan had 9 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks.

At this point, it feels like nothing is going to stop the Spurs. Playing without Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, San Antonio went on the road to Oakland and won their 13th straight game. Tony Parker hit for 20 points to lead the Spurs and Tiago Splitter had 17 points and 14 rebounds in Duncan’s absence. The Spurs jumped out to a big lead early, going up by as many as 13 in the first quarter, then hit timely shots throughout the second half as Golden State drew closer. Kawhi Leonard had 16 points and 7 rebounds, and Marco Belinelli netted 15 off the bench.

Stephen Curry had 20 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists for the Dubs, who struggled offensively for much of the night. They shot 40 percent overall and hit 3-15 from long range. Klay Thompson put up 16 points, while Andrew Bogut snared 17 rebounds and blocked 4 shots.

Throughout his career, LeBron James has handled his brief bouts of powerlessness about as well as any King can.

James wasn’t at the copy desk when Sports Illustrated threw his 17-year-old face on the cover with three little proclamatory words, “The Chosen One” serving more as job title than headline. It was never his choice to be The Chosen One.

But eventually James commandeered the nickname as his own, broadcasting it permanently between his shoulder blades with a bold face CHOSEN 1 tattoo taking up most of the real estate on his upper back.

Later, the biggest Decision he’s ever made publicly blackened his image worse than if he joined the Sith, leaving him powerless over the vitriolic spew castigated on him for the next couple of years. So James embraced his new role as villain and trolled America one game at a time until he was handed the Larry O’Brien, smiling wide-eyed like a surprised 5-year-old who had been handed a loaded waffle cone, and the jig was up.

Now that he can count down the months to his 30th birthday, with about half of his career behind him, James admits his status as the go-to guy for ushering in a new generation of younger players is not really up to him.

He’s an ambassador to the NBA’s youth by default.

“I am,” James says, two sacks of ice situated on each knee following probably his worst game of the year, a 94-89 loss to Utah where he finished 4-13 with 13 points. “[Whether] I want it or not.”

As nonchalant as his words come off, James has been anything but apathetic helping out the young class of the NBA. He’s embracing it like the other roles he’s been saddled with before, ready and willing to tuck inexperienced NBA guys under his 7-foot-quarter-inch wingspan whenever nurturing is necessary.

James lays claim to an impressive ring of protégés around the League, expanding the names in his Samsung phone to include younger players who grew up idolizing LeBron and graciously welcome the King’s advice with open arms.

Eric Bledsoe, Kyrie Irving and even Kevin Durant count James as a friend and mentor. He’s talked about freely handing out advice to John Wall and Paul George on the court.

Even with football players—Johnny Football, Braxton Miller and most recently Tony Romo—James admits his offering of counsel is simply innate, and like so many things, out of his control.

“It’s just part of my personality, that’s all,” James said.

In GQ earlier this month, James defined the texts, the little chunks of hallowed advice, as his “secret words.”

So we spoke with three young protégés of James’—Trey Burke, Tristan Thompson and Norris Cole—about what exactly those “secret words” are.

The way the group talked about James, one thing was made certain: he doesn’t seem to rub people the wrong way. No one had a single bad word to say. Not even the slightest quibble. Just a bunch of young kids simply giddy to flip a parasocial relationship they once had into a surreal mentorship meant to guide their professional progress into adulthood.

TRISTAN THOMPSON

Cleveland’s Tristan Thompson has known James since back in high school, calling him a “big brother” nearly his entire professional career. So when the power forward was drafted No. 4 overall by the Cavs in 2011, James gave the power forward a dose of brotherly reality.

“Congratulations! It’s just the beginning. Now the real work starts.”

When he was in high school and at the LeBron James Leadership Academy, a gangly 17-year-old Thompson shuffled up to James and small-talked about basketball. Even as a top-10 national recruit in the 2010 class, Thompson was nervous. Stomach bubbling, he eventually asked James for his number for whenever he needed a little guidance with the game.

James happily obliged.

But as anyone whose gotten a phone number knows, getting the digits are just the first step.

“He responded, too,” Thompson said through a chuckle.

Now five years later, after keeping tabs with Thompson up through his short career at Texas and now in his third year in the league, responses from James matriculate through his inbox intermittently.

With Thompson fortuitously drafted to Cleveland—just 30 minutes from James’s house in Akron—either guy can make the short half hour drive to just kick it and kibitz about whatever. There’s no constrictions on where the conversation can go.

“It’s not just basketball, it’s basically life. Anything I want to talk about,” Thompson said. “If I call, I know he’ll pick up.”

The biggest help came during the lockout year, when Thompson was just a rookie, forced to play back-to-backs-to-backs while dealing with the emotional high-low swoon of his first year in the League.

James just reminded Thompson to stay consistent and just play hard. Everything else—numbers and wins—will work itself out.

The entire time he’s been in the League, James has preached one thing to Thompson. As a big man, he needs three moves: a jump hook, a counter and a 15-foot jumper. With how active Thompson is on the floor, James let him know that if he can get the midrange J, it’ll open everything up for the young post.

“I think It’s almost like a cheat sheet,” Thompson said, describing his ability to reach out to the four-time MVP. “Being able to ask him about things he’s went through that I’m facing right now—how he dealt with it—I can kind of piggyback and take from him to help me get through adversity or things I need help with. It’s great to have a resource like that. He’s honest up front and always been available which is big time. It shows a lot about his character, who he is as a person and what a great heart he has.”

TREY BURKE

“It’s definitely a relationship right there, with the Ohio connection,” Burke says face down in some pre-game chicken curry before he takes on James for the first time in Salt Lake City. He peeks at film in the background of the Heat’s last game out of the corner of his eye between bites, hurrying to swallow before finishing each thought.

“It goes to show what type of person he is,” Burke says. “He’s always willing to share his knowledge about the game, give his feedback and insight. You need guys like that.”

Two Ohio Mr. Basketballs, James (2001-03) and Burke (2011) originally met back when the Utah Jazz rookie was in 9th grade at Columbus Northland High. The Cavs played a preseason game at University of Akron and the little freshman went up to meet the local savior, though Burke doubts James remembers the exchange now.

A few years later Burke ended up as a standout at the LeBron James Skills Academy the summer before he would win the 2013 Wooden Award. Still, no genuine personal relationship sprouted.

It wasn’t until Burke finally found national success in last year’s NCAA Tournament that the other former Ohio Mr. Basketball reached out.

James’ agent Rich Paul—who Burke had a relationship with—handed off the Michigan star’s number to the MVP, and the best individual players in college and the NBA last year started to chat.

Swirled up between breaking out as a star on a national stage and leading the Wolverines to their highest level of relevancy since Chris Webber’s phantom timeout in 1992, Burke can’t pinpoint what the first text he got was. What he does know is that the texts ran through Michigan’s NCAA Championship loss to Louisville, bled into Burke getting drafted ninth overall in last year’s Draft and continue to this day.

With how busy the two are during the season, the frequency of conversations has dwindled. But when news came down that Burke injured his finger this preseason and would be forced to watch the first twelve games of his professional career in a suit on the sideline, James reached out to keep the rookie’s hopes up.

James understands. It’s why he keeps driving home two main pieces of advice: stay healthy and keep grinding. Work hard and work smart. Keep your body as finely-tuned machine so you can use it to its potential. James knows all rookies eventually hit the same wall.

“I went from playing 27 games in high school a season to trying to playing 82 games,” James said. “We all hit a wall. It’s challenging. The traveling, the games, the practices, just the time commitment to being on the floor. It’s very taxing.”

And Burke is always very receptive to the messages. When it comes to his actual textual diction, Burke says James refrains from using emojis and describes his texts as “straightforward and pretty comprehensive.”

But for Burke, the presentation of the text doesn’t matter; it’s the content of the message he wants to file away for later.

“I wanted to get something away form what he was telling me, not just see it as him texting me,” Burke said. “As good as a player he is, I’m gong to have to compete with him a lot—not just this year, but down the line.”

NORRIS COLE

Twenty-four picks after Thompson was selected by the Cavs in 2011, another product of Ohio was down the street in Cleveland, ready to get scooped up by James’s new team.

It was Cleveland State standout point guard Norris Cole, the most famous high-volume haircut since the VHS sleeve cover of High School High.

Riding a solid motor, versatile skill set and the legend of a 40-point, 20-rebound, 9-assist night against Youngstown State, Cole was taken late in the first round (28 overall) by Miami.

After he got the call he was drafted, Cole semi-expected a text from Miami’s most famous local. Eventually it came.

“Welcome to the family.”

Cole is the second-youngest member of the Miami Heat. He still holds the title of last Heat draft pick to play in a regular season game and doesn’t know what it’s like playing in the NBA without James as a teammate.

Anyone who has followed the Heat, noticed the video bombing during post-game interviews, watched their attempts at a “Harlem Shake” video or heard about “Battioke” knows the Heat truly try to act like a tight-knit family.

So even after maybe their worst loss of the year to Utah in early February, the locker room is still jocular.

Guys giggle next to each other on the trainers table. Michael Beasley plops a backpack filled with trendy new bright colored and graphic-heavy camouflage socks in front of Dwyane Wade’s locker. Beasley fingers through what feels like dozens of pairs. Wade smiles back approvingly.

Cole has his own pair with pink-and-purple polka dots meant to match his purple shirt. (“We’re the Heatles now,” he says. “You gotta bring them swag.”)

While Cole straightens out his socks, making sure each dot is symmetrical, at the first mention of James his head instinctively kicks back and a smile beams through his Invisalign braces.

“That’s my boy, man,” Cole said. “We’re from Ohio, baby.”

After the Draft, the Dayton local was immediately invited to James’ house in Akron, just a 40-minute drive down the I-77 from Cleveland State, to play in some open runs with James and Bledsoe, who was coming off his rookie year for the Clippers at the time.

“It’s been all she wrote ever since,” Cole said.

By the time Cole got to Miami, James made sure his new family member got the best. He let Cole steal some of his workout and training methods. He sifted through his contacts to make sure Cole only trained with the best available.

And more then anything, James offered the wisdom that comes along with being a once-in-a-generation athlete.

“Whatever I need, whenever I need to talk to him, he’s available,” Cole said. “He’s always trying to be a mentor. He’s a special player and has some gifts that can’t be taught, so he’s always been open.”

James might have some talents that can’t be taught, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be there to assist any young guys willing to try and learn anyway.

As the defacto guidance counselor of the NBA, he’s available to impart his wisdom whenever it’s called upon.

Even though Tony Parker (9 points, 5 assists) and Tim Duncan (16 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks) returned from injury Saturday night, Patty Mills (32 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists) stole the show from the two veterans. Mills scored 18 of San Antonio’s 35 points in the fourth quarter, shooting 5-5 during these final 12 minutes. He took over by using his floaters and jumpers to keep Bobcat defenders on their toes. Duncan had his 22nd double-double of the season while Al Jefferson (26 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, 4 steals) continued his hot streak of play. Gerald Henderson (23 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) and Kemba Walker (18 points, 8 assists) played well in the loss. Charlotte jumped out to a quick 18-6 lead in the first quarter, behind Jefferson’s strong play down low. But the Spurs quickly got back in this game and took the lead. Later, the Bobcats had a great chance to cut a 99-95 deficit to single digits with 26 seconds remaining when Josh McRoberts (7 points, 4 rebounds) stole the ball from Duncan. However, attempting to pass the ball to a leaked out Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (4 points, 12 rebounds), McRoberts threw the ball away.

Grizzlies 79 (27-22), Hawks 76 (25-24)

The Grizzlies are quickly looking more and more like the team that has scared so many playoff teams the past few seasons. And they’re doing it by means of their elite defense, holding the Hawks to only 25 points in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. The Hawks’ 76 points is a season low as they have now tied a season-worst three-game losing streak. Offensively, Zach Randolph (20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals) led the way while Marc Gasol (8 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block) did a little bit of everything. Paul Millsap (20 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals) had a great first half and was active on both ends of the floor while DeMarre Carroll (13 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists) was the only other Hawk that played somewhat well on the night. The Grizzlies forced 21 Hawks turnovers and also only shot and made a single free throw. This is the record for fewest free throws attempted in an NBA game during the shot-clock era. But their defense was the catalyst for the win. After Marc Gasol missed a jump shot with 15 seconds left in the game, the Hawks had one more chance to tie the game. After a timeout, Lou Williams (6 points, 5 rebounds) hoisted up a potential game-tying 3-pointer that clanked off the rim.

Pistons 126 (21-29), Nuggets 109 (24-25)

With both teams on the second night of a back-to-back and both lacking consistent defense on the year, it was clear this would be a shootout early on. The Nuggets played three more players than the Pistons did, but Detroit had some great offensive play from their starters and Rodney Stuckey (19 points, 4 rebounds). Brandon Jennings (season-high 35 points, 12 assists, 2 turnovers, 6-11 on 3-pointers) and Josh Smith (30 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals) had phenomenal performances while Andre Drummond (18 points, 15 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals) had his 38th double-double in 50 games played. The Pistons are 6-3 when Jennings has 12 or more assists. Randy Foye (25 points, 5 rebounds) led the Nuggets in scoring as Ty Lawson (6 points, 7 assists) suffered a broken rib late in the first half and did not return. Evan Fournier (12 points, 3 rebounds) tried his best to fill in for Lawson in the second half. The Pistons did a good job of taking care of the ball on the night, with only 10 turnovers compared to the Nuggets’ 20 turnovers. Detroit almost let another big lead get away from them, but Jennings knocked down key 3-pointers late to close this one out. Will Bynum still hasn’t played since arguing with Mo Cheeks during Wednesday’s 112-98 loss to the Magic.

Blazers 117 (36-15), Timberwolves 110 (24-27)

Rookie C.J. McCollum (season-high 19 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, 3-6 on 3-pointers) had his best game of the season, showing flashes of what he could be off the bench in the near future. He got the chance with Mo Williams still being gone due to family reasons. When Williams returns, Stotts should find a way to start splitting up the minutes between McCollum and Williams. Rookie Shabazz Muhammad (season-high 12 points, 2 rebounds) also had his best game of the year. LaMarcus Aldridge (26 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks) scored 16 of his 26 points in the 2nd half, being a force down the stretch. His high release point makes his jump shot very difficult to guard. Wesley Matthews (21 points, 6 assists) matched McCollum with three 3-pointers of his own. Corey Brewer (26 points, 7 rebounds) and Ricky Rubio (25 points, 9 assists) led a gritty Timberwolves team that was without Kevin Martin (broken thumb), Kevin Love (quadricep) and Nikola Pekovic (ankle)—their top three scorers. The Timberwolves surprisingly stuck around for most of this game and only trailed 83-83 going into the fourth quarter. However, behind six points from Aldridge, Portland would go on a decisive 13-1 run that Minnesota couldn’t come back from. The Timberwolves actually outscored the Blazers 52-28 in the paint but couldn’t overcome Portland’s hot shooting (48.8 percent from the field) and eight 3-pointers. If the Blazers want to make a legitimate run in the postseason, they will need to start playing much better defense. They are giving up 103.4 opponent ppg—which is the worst of all current playoff teams.

Rockets 101 (34-17), Bucks 95 (9-41)

There was nothing out of the ordinary from the Rockets on the night, as Dwight Howard (27 points, 13 rebounds) controlled the interior, James Harden (22 points, 4 steals) got into the paint and Jeremy Lin (18 points, 4 assists, 2 steals) provided a change of pace off the bench. The lowly Bucks—who were without Luke Ridnour (back), Ekpe Udoh (ankle), Ersan Ilyasova (back), O.J. Mayo (sickness) and Caron Butler (ankle)—found a way to compete in this game with five of their players scoring in double-figures. Brandon Knight (23 points, 5 assists) led the way again as Khris Middleton (20 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds) played well. John Henson (14 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks) and Zaza Pachulia (12 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists) each had a double-double but struggled to contain D12, especially with Larry Sanders leaving in the first quarter due to an elbow to the eye. The Rockets outscored the Bucks 27-19 in the 2nd quarter to take a 56-45 lead going into halftime. But the Bucks wouldn’t lay down easily, going on a quick 12-2 run to start the third quarter. After a James Harden layup toward the end of the quarter, Houston held a 81-67 lead. But the Bucks chipped away at the deficit, eventually trailing only 98-95 with 46 seconds left after Middleton made three free throws. However, Howard would make three free throws of his own to close this one out. Omer Asik (5 rebounds) played for the first time in 31 games. The Rockets are currently riding a League-best five-game winning streak.

Suns 122 (30-20), Warriors 109 (30-21)

Six players from each playoff-hunting team scored in double-figures but Goran Dragic (career-high 34 points, 10 assists, 2 steals, 10-13 from the field, 6-7 on 3-pointers) had the top performance on the night. The Warriors were without Andrew Bogut (shoulder) and David Lee (shoulder and hip). With 7:33 left in the fourth quarter, the Warriors only trailed 104-100, behind strong play from Stephen Curry (28 points, 9 assists) and Harrison Barnes (23 points, 6 rebounds). But then Dragic went on to score 13 of the Suns final 18 points, during which the Suns outscored the Warriors 18-9. (All-Star snub anyone?) Gerald Green (25 points, 5 rebounds) continued to look as if he’s finally found a role with Phoenix and P.J. Tucker (16 points, career-high 15 rebounds, 4 steals) crashed the boards all night. The Suns shot well from all over the floor, shooting 53.8 percent from the field (43-80), 52.4 percent on 3-pointers (11-21) and 83.3 percent on free throws (25-30). Golden State has won back-to-back games only once since January 7.

Jazz 94 (17-33), Heat 89 (35-14)

Utah might be tied for the worst record in the West but they used their youth and always passionate fans to take down the more experienced Heat. Trey Burke (13 points, 3 assists) made a clutch 19-foot jump shot with 24 seconds left in the game to seal the team’s 17th victory of the season. So far, this has to be Burke’s defining shot of his rookie season, coming up big when his team needed him to most. Dwyane Wade (19 points, 6 rebounds) played best for the Heat, who are now four games back of the Pacers for the best record in the East. The Jazz came out of the gates firing. After Chris Bosh (13 points, 7 rebounds) tied the game with 6:51 left in the first quarter, the Jazz went on an 18-6 run to close the quarter, led by Derrick Favors (8 points, 7 rebounds) and Marvin Williams (23 points, 5-8 on 3-pointers). LeBron James (13 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 turnovers) played well during the second quarter when his team outscored the Jazz 30-20, but for the full 48 minutes, the Jazz kept James from looking anything close to the player he’s been since joining the Heat. James only scored 2 points in the fourth quarter, coming from two free throws on two separate occasions. There were times in this game when James simply looked uninterested. Gordon Hayward (9 points, 11 assists, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, +11) came one point and one rebound away from getting his first career triple-double and made the final free throw on the night. The Jazz were outhustling the Heat to most loose balls and outrebounded them 41-32. Utah had an 11-2 advantage in terms of second-chance points. EnergySolutions Arena hasn’t had much to root for this season but defeating the two-time defending champs behind a big shot from Rookie of the Year candidate Trey Burke will be remembered for a while.

Over the weekend, Isaiah Thomas rocked dope PEs of the Reebok Shaqnosis and Kamikaze II; Phil Pressey paid tribute to the Glove in the Nike Zoom Flight 98; and LeBron laced up another fresh Zoom LeBron Soldier VII colorway. We collected photos of that heat and more in our gallery of the best sneakers from around the League. Which player’s shoe game did you like the most from over the weekend?

The Grizzlies snapped a five-game losing streak behind another double-double from Zach Randolph (25 points, 15 rebounds) and strong performance from Tony Allen (19 points, 8 rebounds, 8-13 from the floor). After reaching 16 points and 7 rebounds respectively only once in the first 23 games, Tony Allen has done so in each of the last 3 games. He also remains the team’s leading defensive force with Marc Gasol still sidelined. Even with Tyson Chandler (8 points, 6 rebounds) back in the starting lineup, New York couldn’t keep Memphis from pounding the ball down low, as they had a commanding 60-28 points in the paint advantage. The Knicks starters did not look good, as Carmelo Anthony (30 points, 7 rebounds) was the only starter to have double digits in any statistical category. Strong bench play from J.R. Smith (16 points, 7 assists, 4 steals) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (16 points) kept the Knicks in this game as Anthony, Smith and Hardaway Jr. combined to score 22 of the team’s 26 points in the 4th quarter. Midway through this final quarter, the Grizzlies held a 85-66 lead. Behind a barrage of 3-pointers from the aforementioned 3 Knicks players, the lead dwindled all the way down to 91-87 with 25 seconds to go. Jerryd Bayless (11 points) then made 2 free throws to hand the Knicks their 10th home loss out of 14 games at Madison Square Garden.

Wizards 106 (12-13), Celtics 99 (12-16)

The Wizards came back from a double-digit deficit to take down the Atlantic division leaders, extended their winning streak to 3 games and inched closer to that elusive .500 mark…for Eastern Conference teams. Trevor Ariza (27 points, 8 rebounds, 5-8 on 3-pointers) had the hot hand all game long, making more 3-pointers than the entire Celtics team, while John Wall (20 points, 9 assists, 6 steals, 1 turnover) finally decided to take care of the ball. In his previous 3 games, Wall was averaging 6.3 turnovers per game. Saturday afternoon, he only had 1 turnover for the third time this season. Jared Sullinger (22 points, 11 rebounds) had his 2nd 20-10 performance in his last 3 games and 4th in his last 12 games. Avery Bradley (26 points, 12-18 from the floor) had one of the best games of his career, but Phil Pressey (5 assists, 0 turnovers, 13 minutes) was the guard putting on a show early in the 4th quarter. At one point, the rookie assisted on 3 of 4 straight Celtics possessions, which led to a 90-84 lead with 6:59 to go. However, Washington would go on a 22-7 run to end the game, which included Wall and Nene (13 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) making 6 straight free throws in the final 45 seconds. The Celtics have now lost 2 straight games after leading by at least 18 points in each.

Kings 105 (8-18), Magic 100 (8-19)

Rudy Gay (23 points, 6 rebounds) and Isaiah Thomas (23 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) each chipped in 23 points while Marcus Thornton (15 points, 6-10 from the field, +16) carried the bench, making 3 triples in a row at one point in the 4th quarter. The Kings shot very well in the 2nd and 4th quarter, scoring over 30 points points in each. They made a season-high 12 3-pointers on the night. Arron Afflalo (26 points, 3-5 on 3-pointers) came back strong after sitting out against Utah due to sickness. Afflalo continues to improve his game, increasing his scoring in each successive year he’s been in the League. After having an outbreak end to his 2012-13 season, Tobias Harris (21 points, 7-11 from the field) hasn’t looked like that Tobias Harris in his first 4 games back. However, Saturday night, Harris finally performed like the player that averaged 19.8 points per game during the final month of last season. Orlando was clinging onto a 77-75 lead going into the 4th quarter, but Sacramento used an 18-4 run in the first five minutes to hand the Magic their fourth straight loss at home.

Jazz 88 (8-22), Bobcats 85 (13-15)

Utah has won 4 of 7 games for the first time this season and that is in large part due to Trey Burke’s (20 points, 4 assists, 4-8 on 3-pointers) emergence as a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate. Burke played better and better as the game moved along, scoring his team’s final 7 points. Al Jefferson (19 points, 11 rebounds) had his third straight double-double and Kemba Walker (20 points, 4 assists, 5 rebounds, 5 turnovers) reached the 20-point plateau for the 5th consecutive game; however, he only had 2 points in the final quarter. The Jazz shot an abysmal 38.6 percent from the field, were outrebounded (50-44) and were outscored in the paint (44-32). With less than a minute to go in the game, though, the Bobcats helped Utah out by missing 3 straight attempts right at the rim. Burke has now scored 20 or more points in three of his last five games; however, sandwiched between those 3 solid performances are two no shows—both losses. Burke will get a chance to sustain this level of play Monday in Memphis.

Rockets 114 (18-10), Pistons 97 (13-16)

As has often happened this season, the Pistons had one of their sporadic games where the defense just didn’t make an appearance. Detroit has allowed at least 110 points for more than a third of its games this season. Dwight Howard (35 points, 19 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks) completely dominated the Pistons frontcourt the entire game, something Roy Hibbert couldn’t do earlier in the week. Bench players Aaron Brooks (10 points, 7 assists) and Omri Casspi (13 points, 7 assists) each played the role of distributor with Patrick Beverely fracturing his hand in the 2nd quarter. He will be out up to 6 weeks. Francisco Garcia (16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) started and filled in well for James Harden (ankle). Josh Smith (19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals) led the Pistons in scoring, Greg Monroe (10 points, 11 rebounds) had a double-double and Andre Drummond (9 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks) dealt with foul trouble throughout the game. These 3 just can’t seem to all play at a high level during the same game. The Pistons shooters couldn’t find their touches, making just one of their 12 attempts from deep.

Bulls 100 (10-16), Cavaliers 84 (10-16)

Chicago led from start to finish in this game, behind a big performance from its frontcourt. Carlos Boozer (19 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists) and Joakim Noah (11 points, 18 rebounds, 3 assists) played well thanks to D.J. Augustin (18 points, 10 assists, 4-6 on 3-pointers) continuing to step into his new role and fit in nicely with Thibodeau’s system. Augustin is averaging 13.8 points and 8 assists in his last 4 games. Andrew Bynum (19 points, 7 rebounds) led the Cavs in scoring while Kyrie Irving (14 points, 5 assists, 5-16 from the field) shot below 40 percent for the 10th time this season. (For one game, D.J. Augustin can tell himself he outplayed Kyrie Irving…yes, that happened.) The Bulls used a 9-0 run right before halftime to extend their lead to 58-41 and put Cleveland away for good.

Bucks 116 (6-21), 76ers 106 (8-20)

This battle between the two worst teams in the East showcased two extremely bad defenses. Khris Middleton (27 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), Caron Butler (22 points, 11 rebounds) and Brandon Knight (21 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 0 turnovers) all had their way for most of the night as their team shot 52.4 percent from the field. Thaddeus Young (30 points, 10 rebounds, 4-4 on 3-pointers) poured it on through the first 3 quarters while Spencer Hawes (25 points, 11 rebounds) and Michael Carter-Williams (19 points, 12 assists) put together some double-doubles. This team has such a fast and fun pace to the offense but just doesn’t know how to keep the other team from scoring when they fall behind. The Sixers are giving up an atrocious 126.3 points in their past 4 games. Having an entire week off until playing the Suns next Saturday, Philadelphia’s players will get a chance to rest their legs and maybe muster up some defense.

Thunder 113 (22-4), Spurs 100 (21-6)

This game was all about Russell Westbrook (31 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 13-22 from the field) and his backup point guard, Reggie Jackson (21 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 8-14 from the field). Westbrook played the pick-and-roll very well, as he usually does, exploding straight to the rim or hitting the open man. When Westbrook needed a breather, Jackson came in and held his own against Tony Parker (23 points, 8 assists) and the Spurs backcourt. However, as has often been the case this season, after Jackson came in for Thabo Sefolosha (5 points, 4 rebounds) toward the end of the 3rd quarter, he never again left the floor. Westbrook and Jackson hit timely buckets in the 4th quarter to extend a 3-point lead early on to a double-digit victory. Jackson is certainly not what James Harden was for the Thunder, but he is certainly finding his role on the League’s best team win percentage-wise. League-leading scorer Kevin Durant (17 points, 5 rebounds) failed to reach 20 points for just the fourth time this season. The Thunder outrebounded San Antonio 48-37, while Serge Ibaka (14 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks) had a commanding double-double. Oklahoma City leads the League in rebounding (47.4 rpg) and showcased its ability to pound the boards against Tim Duncan (17 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks), Tiago Splitter (6 points, 11 rebounds) and the Spurs, as 7 OKC players had at least 4 rebounds. Shooting 16-23 in the second quarter, the Thunder poured on 40 points and took a double-digit lead into halftime; they didn’t give up the lead in the second half. When the good Westbrook comes out to play like he did Saturday night, it’s difficult for anyone to beat his team.

Suns 123 (16-10), Mavericks 108 (15-2)

After an emotional 109-108 overtime loss to the Raptors Friday night, the Mavs just didn’t seem to have the energy to fight off a high-energy offensive team like the Suns. Eric Bledsoe (25 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds) and Phoenix kept their lead around 10 points throughout the night and allowed Dirk Nowitzki (21 points, 6 rebounds), Monta Ellis (19 points, 9 assists, 3 steals) and their Mavs to hang around and keep the game in reach. Dallas even trimmed the deficit to 100-94 with 8:31 to go. However, the Mavs just couldn’t make enough stops with Channing Frye (18 points, 8 rebounds, 4-6 on 3-pointers) and Marcus Morris (8 points, 4 rebounds, 2-3 on 3-pointers) making jump shot after jump shot. Brandan Wright (19 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, 8-10 from the field) continued to play well in his return but still lacks the bulk an NBA center needs. The Suns outscored the Mavs 45-9 from 3-point range.

Blazers 110 (23-5), Pelicans 107 (11-4)

Damian Lillard (29 points, 5 assists) hit another big shot, putting in the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:27 to play. Lillard is habitually making these clutch shots, and if this continues to be the norm, he must be considered as a legitimate MVP candidate. The other four Blazers starters scored in double-digits as Nicolas Batum (11 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists) flirted with a triple-double. With LaMarcus Aldridge (18 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists) and Lillard being the leaders of this team, Batum does an exceptional job being the “glue guy.” The Pelicans erased a 10-point 4th quarter deficit, taking a 105-103 lead after an Anthony Davis (21 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks) dunk with 2:19 remaining. However, Lillard goes to a different level when he finds himself in a close game, responding with his aforementioned 3-pointer. Even though Portland looked good for the most part Saturday night, the bench continued to be subpar, only contributing 20 of the team’s 110 points. Tyreke Evans (21 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds) outscored the entire Blazers bench, reminding people that he once was a 20-5-5 type of player. In his first game with the Pelicans, 7-footer Alexis Ajinca (4 points, 11 rebounds, 16 minutes) was the only player to have grab double-digit rebounds. Trailing 110-107, New Orleans had 12 seconds to tie this game after calling a timeout. After Anderson missed a shot from deep, Anthony Davis grabbed his 4th offensive rebound and gave Tyreke Evans another fairly clean look from deep—he also missed. The Blazers have now won 6 of 7 games and might just be a genuine force in a competitive Western Conference.

Warriors 102 (15-13), Lakers 83 (13-14)

Pau Gasol wasn’t able to play (upper respiratory infection) and his teammates certainly missed him. Two people that weren’t upset about Gasol’s absence were Andrew Bogut (12 points, season-high 20 rebounds, 2 blocks) and David Lee (19 points, 10 rebounds), who had his 8th straight double-double. Even without Kobe Bryant in the starting lineup, Nick Young (20 points) has remained on the bench and continued to be an offensive spark plug. The Lakers kept this one close up to halftime, staying within single digits the entire 24 minutes. However, with 9:08 to go in the 3rd quarter, the Warriors went on a quick 21-4 run as Marreese Speights (10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, 13 minutes) made 3 layups during this run, before being ejected for grabbing Young around the neck. Golden State cruised to a victory the rest of the way. This game was sloppy for both teams, as they combined to have 40 turnovers on the night.

Clippers 112 (19-9), Nuggets 91 (14-12)

This game showcased two teams going in two different directions. The Clippers have won 4 in a row while the Nuggets have lost 3 in a row. And this one wasn’t even a contest, as Jamal Crawford (27 points, 6-12 on 3-pointers) helped his Clippers lead wire-to-wire. Blake Griffin (24 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists) and Chris Paul (10 points, 11 assists, 3 steals) had double-doubles, which they are each averaging this season. Matt Barnes (13 points, 3-7 on 3-pointers) looked good after playing in his first game since November 18 (eye injury). Making 13 3-pointers on the night, the Clippers’ shooting allowed this victory to be an easy one. Los Angeles led by double-digits after the 1st quarter and won the following 3 quarters as well. This team is now 21-2 in the past 2 seasons when making at least 11 3-pointers. The Nuggets only made 31 of 88 shot attempts and turned the ball over 18 times. Wilson Chandler (team-high 19 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals), Ty Lawson (13 points, 6 assists) and Timofey Mozgov (15 points, team-high 9 rebounds) played decent, but the Nuggets didn’t get much production from their other players. Kenneth Faried rolled his left ankle early on in the 1st quarter and didn’t return.

Winners of 6 of their last 8 games, Washington is now one win away from .500, something that hasn’t happened for this franchise since November 3, 2009. After an off game the previous night, John Wall (26 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds, 5 steals) had a fantastic bounce-back game while his fellow starters pulled the rest of the weight, scoring 68 points. The Wizards took the lead in the first few minutes of the game and never gave it up the rest of the way. Trevor Ariza (24 points, 5-6 on 3-pointers) and Martell Webster (19 points, 5-9 on 3-pointers) had the hot hands on the night while Nene (13 points, 12 rebounds) had his second double-double of the season in his return. Paul Millsap (23 points, 10 rebounds) continued to play well in his new uniform, and Atlanta’s biggest surprise of the season, DeMarre Carroll (11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals), had a team-high 36 minutes. For a player that bounced around his first few seasons in the League, he seems to have found a starting role and home in Atlanta.

Cavaliers 97 (5-12), Bulls 93 (7-8)

This game was all about the resurgence of one man: Andrew Bynum. The one-time All-Star posted season-highs in points (20), rebounds (10) and blocks (5). He still doesn’t seem to have the full mobility and low-post moves from his Laker days, but he certainly looked comfortable and borderline dominant in his Cavaliers uniform. Trailing by 2 with just under 20 seconds to go, the Bulls had 4 chances from down low to tie this game up but missed all 4 attempts. Dion Waiters (20 points, 8-10 from the field) provided another spark off the bench while Tristan Thompson (14 points, 14 rebounds) posted his eighth double-double of the year. Even though there are plenty of trade rumors involving his name, Luol Deng (game-high 27 points, 11 assists) proved again that he is currently the best player playing for the Bulls. With Jimmy Butler still recovering from his injury, Tony Snell (18 points, 3-5 on 3-pointers) continued to step up and possibly gives Thibodeau yet another strong wing player. Kyrie Irving (19 points, 6 assists, 7-21 from the field) still hasn’t performed at the level most expected from him this year, and for those wanting an Anthony Bennett (2 points, 1-3 from the field) update, he is currently shooting 11-49 from the field this season.

Nets 97 (5-12), Grizzlies 88 (8-8)

The Nets beat a team over .500 for the first time since their win over the Heat on November 1 while the Grizzlies have now lost 4 straight at home. Brooklyn pulled out this victory over the Randolph-less Grizzlies by playing their slow-paced, methodical game with Brook Lopez (20 points, 9 rebounds) and Joe Johnson (26 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 4-7 on 3-pointers) finally playing like this franchise expects them to…at the same time. They scored the Nets’ final 13 points. Andray Blatche (21 points, 8 rebounds) came up big off the bench, scoring 7 straight points in just over a minute at one point in the 3rd quarter. Quincey Pondexter (22 points, 8-12 from the field) proved his worth, but without Marc Gasol, this Memphis team feels one player short, especially when Tayshaun Prince (0 points, 1 rebound, 1 turnover, 23 minutes) decides to not show up.

Rockets 112 (13-5), Spurs 106 (14-3)

James Harden (31 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists,) had a monster game and possible the best line of the night. These type of performances make it seem like he’s the best 2-guard in the game. Tony Parker (27 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds) returned in Tony Parker fashion, living in the paint and the midrange game. Even though San Antonio made a furious comeback and almost pulled out the win, this team continued to struggle against the young, elite teams of the League (losing to Portland, Oklahoma City and now the Rockets on the season). Leading 72-54 in the 3rd quarter after a Patrick Beverley (11 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals) 3-pointer, the Rockets seemed to be on their way to an easy win. However, by means of a couple runs, the Spurs ended up taking a 104-102 lead on a Manu Ginobili (9 points, 11 assists) 3-pointer. Houston quickly responded by going on a 10-2 run to finish the game, including a big Chandler Parsons (25 points, 5 assists) dunk from Harden.

Timberwolves 112 (9-9), Mavericks 106 (10-8)

All season long, the Mavericks have found a way to score a lot of points but the problem comes when they need to get stops. With Dirk Nowitzki (23 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 10-13 from the field) making midrange shot after midrange shot in the fourth quarter, Dallas was making the baskets the team needed to in order to stay in the game…but Dallas also allowed Kevin Martin (27 points, 10-11 on free throws) to take control of the last 6 minutes of this game, when he scored 13 of the team’s 20 points during this time period. And for the last six minutes of a game, 20 points is way too high for a Mavs team aiming for the playoffs. Dirk’s co-star Monta Ellis (26 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds) had another efficient game, but other than these two, Dallas got little support from the rest of the team. DeJuan Blair (11 points, 8 rebounds), however, remained the most consistent player off the bench while starting point guard Jose Calderon was a late scratch with a bruised right ankle. Kevin Love (21 points, 11 rebounds) has had a double-double in all but one game this season. Defensive specialist Luc Mbah a Moute (4 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 26 minutes) played his first game for the Timberwolves and even received playing time in the fourth quarter.

Jazz 112 (3-15), Phoenix 104 (9-8)

Traveling from Utah to Phoenix, these two teams played each other for the second night in a row, with a different outcome taking place Saturday night. Behind rookie Trey Burke (20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists), who seems to be coming into form, the Jazz finally earned their first road win of the young season. This victory didn’t come easy as both team never held a double-digit lead on the night. Seven of the nine Jazz players that entered the game scored in double-figures while six of these players grabbed at least 4 rebounds. This young team used a team effort to take down Goran Dragic (24 points, 9 assists), Channing Frye (17 points, 6 rebounds) and a Suns team that has lost its consistent and defensive ways. In the past four games, Phoenix has given up a Jazz-esque 106.5 ppg. The Jazz’ winning ways might be coming to an end very soon, with the Rockets, Pacers and Blazers being their next three opponents.

Bucks 92 (3-13), Celtics 85 (7-12)

The Bucks won their first game since November 6 and it happened due to John Henson (13 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Ekpe Udoh (9 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks) playing strong down low and O.J. Mayo (22 points, 9-14 from the field) and Brandon Knight (20 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists) pushing the tempo. The Bucks outrebounded the Celtics 49-41 and had a 16-4 fast break points advantage. The inconsistent Celtics were led by Jared Sullinger (21 points, 14 rebounds), who has been taking advantage of Kevin Garnett’s departure. The big man has more than doubled his scoring (12.8 ppg) with only 5 more minutes of playing time this season compared to last season. Bucks rookie Giannis Antetokounmpo (10 points, career-high 7 rebounds, 4 assists) had the highlight of the night, showing his athleticism on both ends of the court. The Bucks will get the chance to win back-to-back games for the first time this season when they have a rematch with the Celtics Tuesday night.

Utah Jazz rookie point guard Trey Burke and his agent don’t appear to be on the same page when it comes to his surgically-repaired index finger. Burke says he’ll miss 4-6 weeks instead of the 8-12 weeks his agent told the media. The Jazz, meanwhile, are considering signing Jamaal Tinsley during Burke’s absence. Per the Salt Lake Tribune: “Utah opens the regular season Oct. 30 against Oklahoma City. With Burke out, the Jazz have talked to veteran point guard Jamaal Tinsley about a return to the team. Tinsley, 35, spent the past two seasons in Utah. He played in 103 games, including 33 starts. ‘There has been mutual interest,’ Raymond Brothers, Tinsley’s agent, said. Said coach Tyrone Corbin: ‘He has some interest, we have some interest. … He’s a guy who knows our system.'”

The Utah Jazz announced today that rookie point guard Trey Burke will undergo surgery on his broken right index finger, which is expected to sideline him for 8-12 weeks. Per the Deseret News: “Burke is expected to be sidelined for eight to 12 weeks because the nature of the break requires some pins to be inserted into his finger for a full recovery, his agent said. The Jazz begin their 2013-14 season on Oct. 30, and that timeline would have Burke return somewhere between Dec. 9 and Jan. 6. That could leave the Jazz’s starting point guard sidelined anywhere from 22 to 36 games. Initially, Burke’s camp hoped the 20-year-old would return after three weeks. ‘It’s unfortunate,’ Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. ‘It’s part of the business getting hurt and seeing how he responds.’ Veteran John Lucas III will handle the starting playmaker duties in Burke’s absence, but the Jazz only have roster hopefuls Scott Machado and Lester Hudson on the point-guard depth chart. The Jazz will explore other options as far as looking into trades and evaluating potential free-agent point guards.”

After the Jazz drafted Trey Burke—presumably to be their starter—Mo Williams said he won’t re-sign with Utah if he’s not the starter. Looks like Williams should get some visits lined up elsewhere. Per Yahoo: “Mo Williams will re-sign as a free agent with the Utah Jazz only if he remains the starting point guard next season, a source told Yahoo! Sports on Friday. The demand comes a day after the Jazz traded up in the draft to get University of Michigan star Trey Burke, who was selected ninth on Thursday night. ‘He’s not going to come back as a backup,’ the source said of Williams. As for Burke, he told reporters Thursday, ‘My goal is to come in and start right away. I look forward to coming in and helping the team win.’

The Utah Jazz did some wheeling and dealing in order to land point guard Trey Burke from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Per the Salt Lake Tribune: “The Jazz will emerge with the top playmaker in the draft, Michigan’s Trey Burke, after trading their two first round picks for the rights to the consensus national player of the year. To complete the deal, the Jazz selected UCLA’s Shabazz Muhammad with the 14th pick, and Gorgui Dieng from Louisville with the 21st. Later in the first round the Jazz traded the No. 46 pick and cash to Denver for the rights to 7-foot-1 French center Rudy Gobert, who was picked 27th. In the buildup to the draft, general manager Dennis Lindsey said he would be aggressive, and did not fall short of the vow. Burke averaged 16.7 points and 5.7 assists in two years at Michigan, where he led the Wolverines to the NCAA championship game in April. The Jazz worked out 67 prospects in preparation for the draft, although Burke was not one of them.”

When Michigan star point guard Trey Burke is asked to name the NBA players he tries to model his game after, Tony Parker, Rajon Rondo and Chris Paul come up. What do all three of those All-NBA guards have in common? Not one of them knows what it feels like to put a bewildered university on his shoulders and guide it back to national prominence. But Burke does.

“This program hasn’t been this far in two decades,” says Burke, a native of Columbus, OH, who led UM to the Championship game as a sophomore. “Just to be back in this situation definitely means the world to the alumni, and it means the world to us. Last year when I came back, I announced to the media that I wanted to compete for a National Championship. A lot of people looked at me like I was crazy.”

If you watched any of Michigan this past season, you already know that the 6-1 late bloomer—he was not offered a scholarship from Ohio State, the school he grew up around the way from—isn’t crazy…just crazy skilled. He’s gutsy in the lane (166 free-throws attempted as a sophomore), polished with the pass (a school-record 260 assists this year) and big when it matters (YouTube him). Maybe he does have something in common with Parker, Rondo and Paul after all.

On the season, the 20-year-old averaged 18.6 ppg, 6.7 apg, 3.2 rpg and 1.6 spg. In the process, he became the first Wolverine to win the Wooden Award as the best college player. “My teammates and coaching staff put me in this position,” says Burke, who also snagged AP POY honors and the Oscar Robertson Trophy. “I wouldn’t be able to receive those awards without them. I wouldn’t even be in the talk.”

After the heartbreaking title loss to Louisville, Burke could have easily deflected questions about the game and instead entertained ones about his bright NBA future that, after declaring for the Draft, is set to begin in June. But he didn’t. “I still haven’t been able to really grasp it, really,” Burke says. “I’ve had a good career so far, but I think this would have been the icing on the cake. To not be able to get it done as a team hurts me personally. I wanted to win this bad.”

After falling short to Louisville in the National Championship game against Louisville, Trey Burke was right back at it in the gym. He flew back to his hometown of Columbus, OH, and shot straight to his old high school (Northland), where he gave SLAMonline an exclusive look at his workout with his long-time trainer Anthony Rhodman of In God’s Image.

The location offered the charming limitations that you’ll only find in a city league gym—having to mop the floor multiple times to alleviate slippage; guesstimating where the NBA three-point line is; and watching yourself before you run into the wall that was thisclose to where the court ends. Burke went through a grueling workout where everything was started six years ago as a freshman in high school.

“The critics drive me. When I hear stuff like that, it puts a chip on my shoulder,” Burke said. “Growing up I was never a heralded recruit, but I just loved the game so much that I continued to work. When I hear stuff like, ‘Trey Burke is not going to be any good in college’ or ‘Trey Burke won’t be any good in the NBA,’ it really motivates me and makes me work harder. I know I can prove them wrong. I have exceeded a lot of people’s expectations and I constantly play with a chip on my shoulder. I just love the game that much.”

Rhodman had Trey went through just about every drill with the rock in his hands that you could imagine. He went dribbled on a stabilization pod, zig-zagged between chairs, was pulled back by strength bands, and flew through ladders with two balls in his hands. He showcased an incredibly low, quick handle that allowed him to explode through the cones no matter what dribbling sequence was demanded of him. If for some reason he messed up during a drill, it was mandatory that he start over. It was clear that the trainer and player had a relationship that was built over time, each knowing how to get the most of one and other.

Since the two were just doing an on-court workout, we weren’t able to see any of the strength training that Burke has went through. Even though he has gained 30 pounds over the last three years, the 20-year-old still understands that he must get stronger to compete with the grown men that he’ll face on a nightly basis in the League.

“The biggest thing for me is just getting stronger physically, especially in my lower body. I’m just trying get more explosive and get that extra pop because I know that’s going to be important for me with my size at the next level,” he said. “I’m just looking to become more of an explosive athlete. I want to get a lot reps on my shot and am trying to stay consistent, too.”

Based on the way that he shot the ball throughout his workout, the consistency already appeared to be there on his J. Trey exhibited great lift and an effortless release on his jumper with range extending well beyond the NBA three-point line. He really got to that second level and showed that he’s going to be able to pull up at the drop of a dime when he’s unable to make it all the way to the tin. Burke clearly brought his game to a new level after spurning the NBA last May to return to Michigan.

“Really, it was one of the more difficult decisions in my life because as a 19-year-old kid with the chance to experience your lifelong goal, you want to see where those opportunities will take you. Having the mindset that I have, a lot of people doubted me last year, but I knew I could work my way into the first round if I was able to play consistently,” an ever-so-honest Burke admitted of his decision to return to the Wolverines. “When you have your coaching staff and your parents telling you to really think it over and come back to school in order to grow both physically and mentally, you don’t really want to hear that. You want to live your dream. As you said, it was obviously the best decision and it has paid off.”

What we couldn’t see in the workout was the way that Trey evolved his skills as a point guard. Known as more of a scoring lead guard, Burke maintained his ability to get buckets while also creating at an exceptional rate for his teammates during his second go-around at Michigan. His assists jumped nearly 3 per game in his sophomore season and his assist-to-turnover ratio was nearly 3:1. This wasn’t something that came in the countless hours that he spent in the gym, but something that he learned from others. It was once the Columbus native sat back and became a student of the game that he truly understood the nuances of being a point guard at the highest level.

“I knew that I was young, but I also knew that I have a lot of room to grow and that was another area that I really wanted to grow in. I think that all came with watching film and becoming a student of the game,” Burke explained. “When I was growing up, I would watch games just to see who won and for the excitement. Now when I watch a game, I’m trying to study my defender, take different things from Chris Paul, Tony Parker, Rondo, and those type of guys. What I see more than anything out of those guys is that they play at their own pace and don’t allow anyone to speed them up.”

There was plenty of opportunity for Burke to learn from Paul, too. He spent the summer at the CP3 Elite Guard Camp and was able to learn from the last small guard who was drafted in the top-five, right where Trey is projected in this year’s NBA Draft.

“Seeing the game before it actually happens is the main thing that I took away from Chris Paul. He knows his options before he comes off of that pick and roll. It’s kind of hard to explain, but when you see the elite small point guards come off screens, they’re not looking for what’s open,” Burke said. “They’re usually looking for their next option, whether it be shooting, getting to the paint or passing. Then once you get to the paint, that opens up a new set of options. I just tried to take as much as possible from the camp and learn as much as possible while I was with him.”

He had to throw in one last tip that the League’s best point gave him that clearly was etched his mind, too.

“I asked him what his biggest concern was coming into the NBA out of college and he told me that once you stop viewing the Kobes and LeBrons as superstars and view them as your peers, then that allows you to compete right there with them. I think that’s what I’m going to have to do when I go up against a Russell Westbrook. I have to look at him as one of my peers and just compete.”

With the grind, mentality and skillset that he has, it’s likely that CP3 will be adding Trey Burke’s name to the list of stars that he gives the next wave of high school and college point guards on the come up to treat as just another one of the guys.

There’s something rather poetic about tonight’s national title contest. The two schools’ home cities —Louisville, Kentucky and Ann Arbor, Michigan— are about 350 miles apart on I-75. Know where the halfway mark is between the two spots? Dayton, Ohio, where this whole journey began back on March 19. It’ll all culminate tonight, of course, with confetti on the ground and jubilant hands in the air. But somebody’s gotta make that long trip home trophy-less. That’s just the way it is. I can’t say for certain right now if it’ll be the Cardinals’ Russ Smith or the Wolverines’ Trey Burke, but what I do know is that if you make your way back here at tip-off, we’ll go on the ride together to find out…

…And we’re baaaack. About 30 seconds before the Louisville Cardinals came onto the court, Will Smith’s “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” started blaring from the rafters. Gonna go out on a limb and say that Coach Rick Pitino did not request that.

-Right after Michigan hits the court Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” comes on. Startin’ to feel a little like 2002 in the Dome…but ironically, that’s the same year Maryland won the national championship in Atlanta.

-If we’re predicting the score based on crowd noise, the final will be Louisville 75, Michigan 63.

-Scanning the seats, it’s looking pretty split between the fans wearing maize and blue and those in red and white. Might give the slight edge to Michigan.

-Trey Burke already has more points (5) in a minute and a half than he had all first half vs. Syracuse.

-Understanding the finality of things, Mr. Burke is looking to score early and often. Love the aggressiveness. But hey, if this were your last time wearing a collegiate uniform, you’d try to bring it, too.

-The jumbotron just panned to the Fab 4… as in Jimmy King, Ray Jackson, Juwan Howard and Jalen Rose.

-Though Peyton Siva looked more like Blake Shelton than Blake Griffin on that slam attempt, I saw his vision. The Cards are gonna need a 10-and-5 night from him.

-Of course, the down side to Burke’s more aggressive approach overall is foul trouble. Two by the 10-minute mark stings.

-Michigan hasn’t missed a beat with Spike Albrecht in the game for Burke. In fact, the lil’ homie’s 15 points have the Dome buzzin’.

-Who is this Luke Hancock? The kid went nuts in the second half on Saturday and he’s going ham again tonight. His 16 points have done all but silence Spike’s 17.

-38-37 at the break. Albrecht vs. Hancock, Part 2 in about 16 minutes.

-The marching band from Morehouse College, an all-male historically black school based in Atlanta, is serving as the chief halftime entertainment. What’s weird is that they have female dancers and what looks like a couple of ladies playing instruments. I’d love to hear from a Morehouse alum who can tell me how females got with the unit.

-I’m pretty sure the folks at CBS are doing a good job sharing Albrecht facts, but I bet they missed this bit about the young man’s high school, Northfield Mt. Hermon in Massachusetts: the guy who invented volleyball (William G. Morgan), the guy who founded Burger King (James W. McLamore) and the lady who killed in Bill (Uma Thurman) all went to the school as well.

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-The second half starts with Burke back in the game and the Cards back up to their long-range tricks. 40-38, Louisville.

-A trey from Trey. The point guard position has been tremendous tonight for the Wolverines. 27 points from Burke and Albrecht.

-At the 46-43 timeout, the Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2013 class was introduced. Though names like Gary Payton and Rick Pitino will headline the roster, I’m glad incredible ballers like Bernard King and Dawn Staley were formally recognized. Payton might be “The Glove,” but Staley’s hands were some of the quickest I’ve ever seen on the basketball court. Period.

-Burke’s trying to make things happen. Siva’s trying to make things happen. That’s the mentality your leaders have to have in biggies.

-Two points on one end. Two on the other. Neither squad is blinking. This one feels like it’s about to get special. 54-52, Louisville.

-At the break, the Division II champion Drury Panthers come onto the floor. My wife and I saw them take the crown yesterday afternoon in a hard-fought match-up with Metro State. The most memorable cat on the court was Drury’s Ian Carter. Not sure if it was because of his high-right, low-left haircut or his all-out hustle.

-Jordan Morgan’s ugly crash to the floor sends an understandable hush over the crowd for a few seconds.

-At the start of the game, I said Louisville needed 10 and 5 from Siva to have a chance. They already have 12 and 4.

-Tonight’s attendance: 74, 326, a new all-time high for a National Championship game.

-Albrecht still sitting on the 17 he had in the first half. Don’t think he’s scored a point tonight while Burke was on the same court.

-An alley-oop on one end. An alley-oop from another. You gotta love the fight in these two teams.

-Peyton Siva, love the energy, my man, but that was not a foul. All leather.

-The in-arena cameras just panned from actors Steve Carell and Paul Rudd to ESPN’s Jalen Rose. Wonder if Jalen can get a guest spot in Anchorman 2.

-Who’s keeping a tab on how many times Trey’s hit the hardwood with a thud tonight?

-Fantastic game. Siva has been a stud. Burke has been awesome. The co-stars have been stellar.

-Ball game. 82-76, Cards.

-What a year for Louisville. Sensational start to the season. A three-game losing streak in January. A phenomenal run through the Big East tournament. A No. 1 overall seed in the Dance. The Kevin Ware tragedy. And to watch it all conclude on the Georgia Dome floor with the title is pretty spectacular. Congrats!

Trey Burke, the sophomore point guard who led Michigan to the Final Four, has been selected The Associated Press’ college basketball player of the year.

The Big Ten Player of the Year, Burke was the leader of a team that at times had four freshmen on the court with him but he still managed to average 19.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 6.7 assists.

Burke received 31 votes Thursday from the same 65-member national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. Otto Porter Jr. of Georgetown was second with 16 votes andVictor Oladipo of Indiana got 10. The voting ended on Selection Sunday.

Springfield, Mass. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the final five candidates in consideration for the 2013 Bob Cousy Award. This annual award is given to college basketball’s top point guard and is named after Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtics guard Bob Cousy. An original list of 80 candidates was trimmed down by a nationally based committee to 20, down to 10 and now five candidates remain in consideration for one of college basketball’s most prestigious awards.

“These five players truly represent the elite in college basketball,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “The Cousy Award screening committee has worked diligently to narrow the candidates down to just five candidates. We look forward to honoring the winner in Atlanta over Final Four Weekend.”

“All five of these players have shown a great deal of determination and leadership throughout this year’s basketball season,” said Ken Kaufman, Chair of the Bob Cousy Award and former president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). “They have all separated themselves from the initial list of 80 candidates and we look forward to recognizing the winner that truly represents Bob Cousy’s work ethic and skill.”

Each of the final five candidates in contention for the award will be presented to Mr. Cousy and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The Hall of Fame committee is made up of top college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, Sports Information Directors and Hall of Famers. The winner of the 2013 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the Hall of Fame’s Class Announcement on Championship Monday in Atlanta as part of NCAA Final Four weekend.

Springfield, Mass. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the 12 finalists on the watch list for the 2013 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award. The annual honor, named for Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob Cousy, recognizes the top point guards in men’s college basketball. An original list of 80 candidates was trimmed down by a nationally based committee to the below watch list of 12 student-athletes.

“It is truly an honor to recognize this year’s final 12 candidates — this is an elite group of student athletes that have had a tremendous consistency to their season,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “The Cousy Award screening committee has worked diligently to narrow down their list, and we look forward to recognizing the player that embodies the same leadership skills and determination as Bob Cousy.”

“The Cousy Award screening committee has done an extraordinary job trimming down the list to the final 12,” said Ken Kaufman, Chair of the Bob Cousy Award and former president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). “We have a lot of great candidates, and we look forward to following these players through the remainder of their season and recognizing the best point guard in college basketball at the Final Four.

Beginning Thursday, February 7th at 1pm EST via the Bob Cousy Award’s website – www.cousyaward.com — fans will be able to vote for the top point guard. The player that receives the most fan votes will receive one vote toward the final committee vote. Fan voting will run one month – beginning February 7th and will conclude March 7th.

The current listing of 12 finalists for the 2013 Bob Cousy Award will be narrowed down to 5 players on March 11th. The final five players in contention for the award will be presented to Mr. Cousy and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The Hall of Fame committee is made up of top college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, Sports Information Directors and Hall of Famers. The winner of the 2013 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the Hall of Fame’s Class Announcement on Championship Monday in Atlanta as part of NCAA Final Four weekend.

2013 Bob Cousy Award 12 Finalists
Keith Appling, Michigan State University
Lorenzo Brown, North Carolina State University
Trey Burke, University of Michigan
Aaron Craft, Ohio State University
Matthew Dellavadova, Saint Mary’s College
Pierre Jackson, Baylor University
Shane Larkin, University of Miami
Phil Pressey, University of Missouri
Peyton Siva, University of Louisville
Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State University
Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse University
Nate Wolters, South Dakota State University

About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Birthplace of Basketball, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate, men and women.

Independent of the Nike Skills Academies that take place in Chicago, Clippers star Chris Paul has held his own camp for aspiring point guards from both the high school and collegiate ranks in his hometown of Winston-Salem for a number of years now. The Chris Paul Elite Point Guard Camp featured many of the top guards in North Carolina with a select few nationally for the high school ranks, and brought the vast majority of the top play-makers that you’ll be following in next year’s NCAA tournament. Teams such as the Bobcats, Nets, Spurs, Warriors, Timberwolves and Pacers were amongst the nearly dozen NBA teams in the building. While it was nice playing in front of NBA brass, this camp was more a learning experience than anything for all of the campers in attendance.

Incredibly hands on with the players, CP3 taught them some of the nuances that took him to the top of the point guard ranks. “Anything I don’t like happening to me as a defender, I try to do to opposing defenders,” he told the guards while explaining some of the tricks that you could only know with playing nearly a decade in the league. By the end of the weekend, you could tell that things got through the players heads too. Not only were they making better reads and sharing the ball better than they were during the initial sessions, but the intensity continued to improve as the weekend went on. Mix in some contests with some dope CP3 gear and the fact that Chris offered to give his personal cell number to any of the players who wanted advice, you see why this camp is unlike any other that the country has to offer.

Here’s a look at some of the top college guys that caught our at the Chris Paul Elite Point Guard Camp:

CJ McCollum, 6-3, PG/SG, Senior, Lehigh: Hands down, the MVP of the camp was Lehigh’s CJ McCollum. After destroying Duke in the NCAA tournament, the combo guard passed up rolling to the League and has continued his transformation from 5-3 guard to NBA player. Now readily approaching 200 pounds, the Canton, Ohio native showed off his new found strength and surprising athleticism (he barely missed a between the legs dunk) to dominate the camp. His shot fake, step-back, and NBA range made him a nightmare to guard throughout the camp. He even got his with CP3 guarding him, leaving the All-NBA defender shaking his head in astonishment. Two teams picking in the lottery of last month’s NBA Draft told me that they saw him as a lottery pick next year and with the way that he played in NC, we absolutely agree.

Isaiah Canaan, 6-1, PG, Senior, Murray State: McCollum aside, there wasn’t a more unstoppable scorer at the camp than the man who led Murray State to their near perfect season. Built like Adrian Peterson, Canaan used his powerful frame to bully some of the smaller guards once he got into the paint. The senior’s array of hesitations and step-backs allowed him to take (and make) a bevy of high-level shots against anyone who stepped up to the challenge to guard him. Though Murray State probably won’t have the same mystical run that they had in ’11, they will have a point guard who should hear his name called in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft.

Ray McCallum, 6-2, PG, Junior, Detroit: The most athletic point guard in the camp was Detroit’s Ray McCallum, the best point guard that the Horizon League has to offer. The McDonald’s All-American held offers from just about every program in the country but opted to stay at home and play for his Pops. At CP3, he used his elite strength and athleticism to quickly establish himself as the top rebounder of the group. He used the aforementioned explosiveness offensively to explode to the rim and finish with contact. If McCallum is able to improve on his shot from beyond the arc (he shot 24% from 3 last year), look for him to follow Norris Cole and Shelvin Mack’s footsteps as the next Horizon League guard in the NBA.

Trey Burke, 6-1, PG, Sophomore, Michigan: There wasn’t a better player in terms of utilizing jabs and stepbacks than Michigan’s Burke. After seriously considering entering the NBA Draft, he made his return to Ann Arbor right as the deadline drew close and will be one of the better point guards in college basketball this upcoming season. The Columbus native did a great job shooting the ball on the move coming off screens and showed the advanced skill level that got him Ohio’s Mr. Basketball during his senior year. Trey will come into the season as arguably the Big Ten’s best returning NBA prospect and after the way he played in Winston-Salem, it’s easy to see why.

Erick Green, 6-4, PG/SG, Senior, Virginia Tech: Living in ACC country, I was a familiar with Green after watching him help V-Tech take Duke to OT late in the season. While it was clear that he was a talented guard, I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t realize he was that good until seeing him against the top guards in the county at CP3. The long and athletic guard was a beast on the glass, shot the ball well from the perimeter, and put the clamps on guys defensively. After mulling a transfer when Seth Greenberg was fired, Green will be the man next year for a rebuilding team in Blacksburg.

Langston Hall, 6-4, PG, Junior, Mercer: One of the bigger surprises that we caught at CP3 was Mercer’s Langston Hall. The lanky point guard was all over the floor with his stacked 3-on-3 team of himself, McCollum and Green. He definitely had the mindset of a player who was grateful to have the opportunity to be at CP3 and after the way that he played in front of NBA scouts, he’ll be closely followed for the remainder of his college career.

Leading up to Saturday’s highly-anticipated matchup, much of the talk centered around Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger and Michigan’s Trey Burke. The two were high school teammates who remain close friends. It was Burke, though, who made the shot of the night. With his team leading 54-51, Burke iced the game with a layup with 14 seconds remaining. Burke finished with a team-high 17 points while Sullinger had 14 points and eight rebounds.

After the game, Burke was thinking more about how the win affects his team.

From the Detroit Free Press:

“I’m just happy we won,” said Burke, who led U-M with 17 points, redeeming his struggles in last month’s loss in Columbus. “For us to stick together as a team down the stretch, to come together after that tough loss at Ohio State, it shows how much of a team we are.”

As for the Buckeyes, they have now dropped two of their last three after winning six straight. The Big Ten title might be on the line when they close the regular season at Michigan State on March 4.